MRRN: Volume 4
by WinterWolf29
Summary: A continuation of Volume 3. Math and Robin struggle to recover from injuries from the Fall of Beacon. Ruo struggles with his relationship with Yang as he tries to help her. Nasser fights to reclaim Beacon Academy, while questioning Goodwitch's change in behavior. Soon, they'll find themselves going up against Ozpin's secret enemy: the Grimm Queen named Salem.
1. Schemes and Recovery

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 1: Schemes and Recovery**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

 **Author's Notes: This a continuation of Volume 3. If you haven't read it yet, I strongly suggested you do. For those who have read it, I added some more to Chapter 23, so make sure to reread if you'd like.**

Everyone sat at Salem's table, waiting for the Grimm Queen to arrive. In contrast to the five that were usually filled, all six other seats besides Salem's were used.

Their newest member: Nachtfel, Commander of the Iron Knights and one of those responsible for the Fall of Beacon, the tragedy that had left the Four Kingdoms divided and unsure of who to trust. Everyone had their hate pointed at Atlas due to Emerald and Mercury's footage of the Atlesian Knights attacking innocent civilians.

Even though he had agreed to be a part of their circle, everything he had been told was a bit much for him, even after all these months. The Four Relics that lay in the Huntsmen Academies, the everlasting war between Salem and Ozpin, or Ozma as she would call him, though she refrained from saying why, her mastery of the Grimm…even now, he was still trying to process everything that had happened.

But none of that mattered anymore. She had made a promise to help him ensure the complete annihilation of all Huntsmen and put an end to them once and for all.

By now, his Knights were all over the place, causing trouble along with the Grimm. The Grimm attacks, along with the attacks of his Knights, were leaving the Huntsmen thin and overwhelmed.

Everything was going to according to plan.

Nachtfel often looked over to Valkoin, the same man who had brought him to their circle. He was struck as a rather mysterious and arrogant, yet cautious man whose mastery of wires and Semblance made him a very dangerous man.

A snap of Cinder's fingers broke him out of his thoughts, but it wasn't meant for him; instead, she was demanding Mercury and Emerald to come to her side at the table. Emerald bumped Mercury aside to stand closer to Cinder since she served as her voice.

Ever since the Fall of Beacon, Cinder had been left in a mutilated and weakened state. Her left eye was covered with glass due to the horrendous scarring, her left arm was completed covered by a long sleeve and she had been unable to talk other than whispers and loud breaths.

"Yes, keep your posse in check," Dr. Watts insulted.

"Come now, Dr. Watts," Valkoin responded. "There's no need to be condescending towards your allies."

"Well, forgive me," Dr. Watts replied. "I'm not fond of failure." Nachtfel raised an eyebrow.

"And what do you mean 'failure'?" he questioned. "We destroyed Beacon, we took the Maiden's power, the Relic of Choice is within our grasp, and Ozpin is dead…how did we fail?"

"Because of the Silver Eyed girl," Dr. Watts explained.

"Silver Eyes," Nachtfel repeated. "What's so important about these Silver Eyes?"

"Because they're one of the greatest threats to our Goddess," Tyrian answered. "Therefore, she's made it a priority to hunt them down…and what a joy it was." The Scorpion Faunus then burst into one of his usual fits of maniacal laughter, nerving everyone present.

"You're insane," Nachtfel spoke, receiving a creepy smile from Tyrian.

"Maybe I am," he admitted. "But aren't we all?"

"Don't test me, Tyrian," the demon warrior threatened. "I'll cut off that tail of yours-"

"Associates, please," Valkoin interrupted, standing from his seat. "Let's not kill each other before Salem has arrived." The Scorpion Faunus then glared over at the wire user.

"How dare you address our Goddess so informally!" he barked. "You will respect her or I-"

Just then, the doors to the room opened, making everyone stand up as they welcomed Salem's presence. She walked calmly by all of them, approaching the candles in the back of the room behind her chair. She stood for a moment before she finally spoke.

"Watts," she addressed and then turned around. "Why must you harass Cinder as such?" She then gestured for everyone to sit down in their seats as she slowly approached her own.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Dr. Watts apologized. "As you know, I'm not fond of failure."

"Then I see no reason why you must be cruel towards young Cinder," she spoke, making Nachtfel smirk. "She has become our Fall Maiden, her efforts helped to destroy Beacon, and best of all, she has killed dear…Ozma." She grinned evilly as the thought of this 'Ozma' being killed, much to Nachtfel's confusion. However, getting an answer out of her was near impossible, especially with Tyrian around.

"So what failure are you referring to?" Salem requested to know.

"The Silver Eyes, madam," Dr. Watts answered.

"Who are these Silver Eyes?" Nachtfel asked. "What's so important about them?"

"The Silver Eyed Warriors are the most effective weapons against us, especially my Grimm," Salem explained. "We've been hunting them for years. Despite our best efforts, some still remain in hiding."

"But how was a novice able to best one of us?" Hazel questioned.

"My point exactly," Dr. Watts spoke. "Even if Cinder was new at using the full Maiden's power-"

"It is because of HOW she acquired the Maiden's power," Salem reminded. She turned her attention to Cinder.

"Make no mistake, young Cinder," she spoke. "You hold the key to our victory and your efforts, along with Nachtfel's and Dr. Watts, have already paved the way for it. Sadly, your newfound strength and how you acquired makes you vulnerable…which is why you shall remain by my side until I believe you are well enough."

Cinder looked down with a frustrated expression. Ever since the Fall of Beacon, she had wanted revenge against Pyrrha Nikos and Ruby Rose for what they did to her; Pyrrha for slashing her face and Ruby for mutilating her body. She hated not being able to go after them, but the damage was too severe for her; she needed time to heal.

"Dr. Watts, you will take Cinder's place and meet with our informant in Mistral," Salem commanded.

"Very good," he replied.

"Tyrian, I want you to continue your hunt for the Spring Maiden," Salem ordered. "We'll need her if we're to acquire the Relic of Knowledge."

"Gladly," Tyrian chuckled.

"Hazel, I'm sending you to the leader of the White Fang," the Grimm Queen ordered. "Adam Taurus has arranged the meeting. He's continuing to prove loyal. I want you to ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same."

"As you wish," Hazel complied.

"Nachtfel, what news from your Knights?" the Grimm Queen requested. The demon took out his scroll, placed it on the table and projected a map of Remnant.

"The Huntsmen's numbers in Mistral are dwindling by the day, thanks to our informant," he reported. "My Knights have had no problem in hunting them down. By the time we launch our attack on Haven, there will be no Huntsmen to stand in our way."

"What about in Vale?" Valkoin asked.

"Our situation there is not as favorable," Nachtfel admitted. "The Huntsmen are holding; even with the Huntsmen Accords hacked, they're still not falling as easily as in Mistral."

"Because Mistral has far more territory than any other Kingdom," Valkoin explained. "That makes it much harder to protect. Their defenses are stretched thin, which makes your job of killing the Huntsmen easier."

"My Knights in Atlas and Vacuo are ready to launch an attack at any time," Nachtfel concluded.

"I won't launch an attack on the other Academies," Salem stated. "We cannot until we have the Maidens."

"Because the Maidens are the keys to the Relics," Nachtfel remembered.

"Nachtfel, I want you to move any available troops you have outside of Vale to Atlas and Mantle," Salem requested. "After Haven is destroyed, we will have need of your Knights. The White Fang won't be able to help us there, so it'll be up to them."

"My Knights will be ready," Nachtfel assured. "Atlas has thought themselves invincible for too long; they will soon feel our wrath." He sat down and put his scroll in his pocket.

"Valkoin, I want you to go to Vale," Salem instructed. "One of Ozma's lieutenants still remain there."

"Glynda Goodwitch," the wire user deduced.

"She is currently spearheading a force to retake Beacon, which is making our job of finding the Relic much harder," Salem explained. "Until Cinder has recovered, we cannot send her there."

"So you plan to send Cinder once she's recovered?" Nachtfel asked.

"Not yet," Salem denied. "When we're going up against the Maidens, we may need her help. Once we have all the Maidens, then I'll send Cinder to find the Relic."

"Then what do you wish for me to do?" Valkoin asked.

"I want you to kill Glynda Goodwitch, Valkoin," Salem instructed. "If you're able to kill Glaucus, then so be it. But for now, your target is Goodwitch. If she dies, then the Council will most likely abandon the effort to retake Beacon, which means we won't have to worry about any more interference for a time."

"I understand," Valkoin assured with a sadistic smile. "Goodwitch will die." Salem looked over to Cinder as she whispered into Emerald's ear.

"Speak, child," the Grimm Queen invited.

"She wants to know…what about the girls?" she asked.

"What about them?" Dr. Watts scoffed. "This is Cinder's problem, not ours. We have bigger threats to worry about." Cinder slammed her fist on the table and gave a death glare to Dr. Watts, who simply smirked in return.

"That's enough," Salem demanded. "Ms. Nikos is not our concern at the moment. If she returns to combat, then you can do as you please with her, Cinder." The Fall Maiden smiled sadistically at Salem's proclamation. She was already thinking of the numerous brutal ways she could kill the Invincible Girl.

"Tyrian," Salem addressed. "Spring can wait for now. Find the girl who did this to Cinder." The Scorpion Faunus cheered excitedly as he clapped.

"And bring her to me…alive," Salem ordered. Tyrian's excited scowl changed to one of disappointment, but Cinder's…Cinder's was pure outrage.

This red hooded girl had used her powers to maim her body beyond repair when she deserved to retain her beauty. She didn't just want to kill Pyrrha Nikos, she wanted to kill both of them. However, she was in no position to argue with the Grimm Queen, so she remained silent.

"Arthur Watts, Tyrian Callows, Cinder Fall, Hazel Rainart, Aaron Nox Caelo…Valkoin Viisaus," Salem addressed everyone. "Our road to victory is long and arduous. It will not be easy, but I assure you; once we have accomplished our goal, you shall all have what you were promised. Beacon has fallen…and Haven will be next. You all have your assignments…now go."

-0-

Nasser slammed his chained knives into another Beowulf before swinging one of them to kill a Raptor. He then launched himself forward to severely damage a Death Stalker's armor, which was finished off by Coco's minigun.

"Keep fighting!" Goodwitch called as she took out two Grimm with her Dust abilities. "We're close to taking this ground!"

The efforts to retake Beacon had been coming slowly. The force, led by Goodwitch, had to deal with waves upon waves of Grimm of all kinds, taking a heavy toll on them. As of right now, they had lost 10% of their force, including students and professional Huntsmen. While the Council had agreed to lend aid, they warned that they'd force Goodwitch to abandon her efforts if their losses became too high.

Yatsu leapt forward and unleashed his sword upon the ground, creating a crater that destroyed dozens of Grimm. It was followed by him swiftly taking out several Ursae and then a Beowulf.

After the dust cleared, three more students were dead, but they managed to retake more ground that led to Beacon. Sadly, they wouldn't have much time to rest as Glynda knew they needed to prepare defenses.

"Those who are injured, get yourself tended to," she ordered. "Everyone else, start making defenses. Barricade, traps…anything that can be used against the Grimm."

"Give them a moment for Gods' sake!" one of the professional Huntsmen pleaded. "They need time to catch their breath."

"By nightfall, the Grimm may come back," Goodwitch spoke. "We must secure this ground or we risk losing it. You have five minutes to rest, then get to work." Everyone then sat down to catch their breath after intense fight with numerous Grimm.

"How many did we lose this time?" Nasser asked as he lit a cigarette and sat next to the worn out members of CFVY.

His appearance had altered in the months since the Fall of Beacon. His jet black hair had grown longer, but was shaved along the sides and was no longer in a ponytail. He was started to grow a jaw beard, which was a bit unkempt considering the days he had been helping Goodwitch on her mission to retake Beacon. His new attire included a black leather jacket that reached his thighs, a green button-up shirt and black jeans with a belt to hold his holsters.

"We lost three more students today," Yatsu answered as he cleaned his blade.

"Great," Nasser groaned. "If we keep losing more of our forces, then all of this will be for nothing. We'll have to pull back."

"We can't give up now," Fox insisted. "We've come too far."

"That doesn't mean victory is assured, Fox," Coco responded.

Everyone saw the angry scowl on Coco's face as she took a sip of some water. Ever since her fight with Robin, she hadn't seen him and she had become much more serious than before the Fall of Beacon.

"How are your teammates, Nasser?" Fox asked.

"They're doing the best they can," the knife user responded. "Math's arm is still very shaky, so he hasn't been training. Ruo's still on Patch, looking after Yang and Robin…" He looked over to Coco, wondering if she was paying attention.

"Robin's still down in the dumps about losing his eyes."

"Well, he can stay that way," Coco spoke with contempt. "If he wants to stay focused on himself when all of Vale is suffering from this, then he's not worth my attention."

"Coco," Yatsu addressed. "We cannot act like that; it'll attract Grimm. I know you're mad about Robin-"

"Who said I was mad?" the fashionista interrupted. "I don't care about him anymore."

"You know that's not true," Nasser insisted. "Robin's being a bit of a dick right now, but-"

"But nothing," Coco shut him down before inspecting her weapon for damage."

Nasser definitely couldn't disagree with Coco on how Robin was acting, but he understood that the Fall of Beacon had taken a toll on all of his teammates. Robin was still coping with the loss of his eyes, Math's arm instability made it impossible for him to continue his training as a Huntsman and Ruo was trying his best to be there for Yang, even when she was being inhospitable towards him.

"Just give him time," Nasser insisted. Coco glared over at Nasser one last time before returning to examining her weapon.

"Alright, everyone able, prepare to secure this ground," Glynda instructed. Everyone got up to prepare defenses to keep their newly acquired territory safe from the Grimm.

Every day for the past six months, Nasser kept losing some hope in their mission retake Beacon. Their force was numbered, but the Grimm were limitless; they couldn't keep this up forever.

The loss of morale was felt among the group and several of them had already considered leaving, but Goodwitch almost always convinced them to stay, either with words or by promising money. Several of them even advised abandoning the mission to retake Beacon, but Glynda would hear none of it.

"Professor Goodwitch," Octavia, whose team had volunteered to stay and help reclaim Beacon, said. "We've been fighting Grimm all day. We need more than five minutes to catch our breath."

"No," Glynda refused. "The longer we wait, the harder it'll be to retake Beacon."

"What is so important?" Nasser questioned. "Beacon is overrun. What is so important that we have to risk-"

"As long as the Grimm continue to multiply, Vale is in danger," Goodwitch responded. "Now all of you be quiet and get to work." Octavia tried to speak, but Glynda sent her off to help secure their ground.

"That woman's losing her mind," Fox whispered to Coco. "What is so important about Beacon that we have to retake it? Besides, the Grimm aren't even moving onto Vale."

"Well, we certainly don't want Grimm-infested territory on our doorstep," Yatsu replied. "But I agree. Professor Goodwitch is becoming rather erratic. She won't hear any counsel if it's not about retaking Beacon."

"It's like she's looking for something," Nasser wondered. "But what?"

-0-

Math's arm hadn't shown any improvement in healing, irritating him between words. As long as it remained unstable, he couldn't continue his training to be a Huntsman.

He got out of bed and went to wash his face off in the bathroom. He looked in the mirror to see his unkempt brown hair, having grown slightly longer in the months following the Fall of Beacon, and his growing beard that was covering half his face.

"Morning," Pyrrha greeted. Math looked to the entrance to see his beloved in her pajamas wearing a smile. He smiled back as he walked to her and kissed her.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"I did," she spoke. The two of them headed to the kitchen, but as they did, Math saw Pyrrha limping again.

"It's your heel, isn't it?" he asked.

"Unfortunately," she answered. "It hasn't fully healed yet. I don't know if it ever will."

"Hopefully, we will," Math insisted, looking at his arm, still in the sling. "How's your chest?"

"I'm doing well," Pyrrha replied. "It's mostly my heel that's needing attention." She looked around, making sure that Corcra and Safirlas were not around.

"Math, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?" Math asked.

"Remember those months ago when…?" She blushed. "When I wanted you to make love to me when were of age?"

"Yeah," the swordsman responded, a red hue on his own face. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," she replied. "Do you still...wish to do it?"

"Pyrrha, I'd love to," he responded before his expression became serious. "But we'd need to be cautious. My mom and sister wouldn't react well if they found out we…"

"Then they don't have to," Pyrrha replied. "This is about us two, not them. We're adults now."

"Yeah…I know," Math responded. "Let's get breakfast going."

"That sounds lovely," she agreed before kissing him.

The two of them went to the fridge to find two cans of cinnamon rolls. They broke the seals and then placed them on pans to put in the oven at 400°F for fifteen minutes.

"Morning," Corcra greeted as she was followed by their dog, Siocled.

"Morning, mom," Math replied.

"Morning, Ms. Kendrick," Pyrrha greeted.

"What'd you put in the oven?" she asked.

"Cinnamon rolls," Math responded. "The water hasn't boiled yet."

"Okay," Corcra replied. "Math, can you take Siocled out back? I need to call the local Huntsmen."

"Has there been any luck in finding Nachtfel?" he asked his mom.

"None," Corcra answered. "We've been looking all over the city for him. At this point, we're thinking he's no longer in Vale at all."

"Great," Math groaned. "So he's off to commit atrocities and then blame the Huntsmen for it?"

"He'll be found, son," Corcra assured. "He will face justice for what he's done. He can't stay hidden forever. Now please take Siocled out."

"Okay," Math responded. He took picked up one of Siocled's many balls and walked outside with her. He then threw it across the yard and watched as she raced after it.

"How've you been, Pyrrha?" Corcra asked her son's girlfriend.

"I've been well for the most part," she replied as she poured herself some coffee.

"Have you received any letters from your family?" Corcra asked.

"I received a letter from them a week ago," Pyrrha answered. "They know that I'm safe…and they wanted me to thank you for your hospitality. They deeply appreciate it."

"I'm happy to help my son's girlfriend," she replied as she poured her own. "Where in Mistral do they live?"

"Argus," Pyrrha answered. "It's a northern city in the kingdom that serves as the primary trading post between Anima and Solitas. It's where I trained before I came to Beacon. I had considered going to Haven…but I never would've met Math."

"You know he really loves you, right?" his mother asked. Pyrrha blushed a little, knowing full well how deeply they cared for each other.

"As do I," she responded. "He means a lot to me."

"He told me quite a bit about you," Corcra informed. "You really didn't have any friends back in Argus?"

"Not unless you count fans," she answered.

"He also told me he told you about his Asperger's," she brought up. "I don't think he would've done that. It shows how much he trusts you."

"I'm so sorry your son had to go through that," Pyrrha apologized. "No one deserves to be hated for something they couldn't help. I think those who judge and harass others for things beyond their control are despicable."

"So do I," Corcra agreed. Footsteps signaled the coming of Safirlas, who looked tired and depressed as ever.

"Morning," Corcra called out to her daughter, but received no reply as usual as she walked to the bathroom. She sighed in frustration at her daughter's condition.

"Are you okay, Ms. Kendrick?" Pyrrha asked.

"I just wish Safirlas had gone back to Haven," she responded. "I know she lost her teammates and that takes a very heavy toll on a person…but now all she's doing is sitting here at the house, doing practically nothing. It's been six months already and I'm getting tired of her just…" She groaned.

"I know she's suffering, but she's thrown away her chance to be a Huntress, something she's wanted for years." Safirlas then walked out of the bathroom and entered the kitchen to pour herself some coffee. Just then, Math came back inside with Siocled.

"Hey, sis," he greeted. "Sleep well?"

"Fine," she grunted. She didn't say another word as she took her coffee to her room, despite knowing of her mom's rules of no food in the bedrooms. Math groaned in frustration.

"It's been six months already," he stated. "When is she going to stop acting like this? She's not the one struggling with an injury."

"No, Math, but she did lose her entire team," Corcra sternly reminded her son. "I don't like her behavior either, but losing your entire team can take a heavy toll on you."

"I know," Math spoke.

"Well, maybe they'd still be alive if not for you," Safirlas blamed as she stopped in the hallway, much to Math's shock.

"What did you just say?" he demanded to know.

"It's your fault!" she shouted. "If you hadn't led that rescue mission, my team would still be alive!"

"Not another word!" Corcra silenced them. "We have a guest with us, remember?" The brother and sister glared at each other, wanting to have a shouting match.

"Safirlas, I know you miss them, but Math is not responsible for their deaths," Corcra stated. "They knew the risks of being Huntsmen and they accepted them. The Iron Knights took them from you, not your brother, so don't you dare pin the blame on him just because you're angry. Do you understand?" Safirlas tried to walk away, but Corcra wouldn't tolerate as she blocked her daughter's path.

"Do you understand?" she sternly questioned.

"Yes," Safirlas grunted, then walked past her mother to her room.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Pyrrha," Math apologized. "What did she-?"

"Don't worry about it," Corcra stated as the timer for the cinnamon rolls went off. "Now let's have some breakfast. I'll go and see if Safirlas wants any cinnamon rolls." She walked off to her daughter's room while Math and Pyrrha took out the cinnamon rolls.


	2. Hurting

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 2: Hurting**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Ruo was carrying groceries back to the Xiao Long household; luckily, in spite of its location, it wasn't too far from the nearest market.

His white hair with black streaks had grown past his shoulders, resting on them. His thin mustache had grown long and bushy with the tips fraying out, almost looking like cat whiskers and his goatee beard had grown longer as well. His new attire included a white robe with a blue sash around his waist, a sleeve on his left arm, but sleeveless on the other, and black shoes. His emblem was visible on the end of his sash, clear for everyone to see.

When he approached the house, he saw Yang's father, Taiyang Xiao Long, tending to the flower garden at the front of the house, along with Zwei, their dog. Tai heard the sound of footsteps and saw Ruo arriving with the groceries.

"Hey, Ruo," Tai greeted. "Thanks for going to the store."

"You're welcome," the Faunus replied. Tai took one of the bags and opened the door for Ruo to put on the kitchen counter. He then started taking out the various foods he had been asked to buy, such as eggs, bread, milk, and bacon.

"How's Yang?" Ruo asked. Tai lost his greeting smile, replaced with a more solemn expression.

"She's…doing the best she can," he replied.

"Still no word about Ruby?" Ruo asked.

"None," Tai responded. "Qrow said he'd look after her, but…I don't trust him."

"Why not?" the White Tiger asked. "Maybe he's a drunk, but Yang's assured he's a very skilled fighter."

"He…told her something that I should've," Tai spoke, tightening his fist in anger.

"Do you mean…Raven?" Ruo asked cautiously. Tai looked over at Ruo with surprise, wondering how he knew her. He was about to ask, but Ruo spoke first.

"Yang told me about her."

Tai's confused expression calmed as he continued taking out groceries and putting them on the counter. For a few minutes, no words were said between Tai and Ruo as they put the groceries away.

"Ruo…I kept Raven a secret from Yang for a reason," Tai finally spoke, having trust in the Faunus.

"Qrow told us she's a dangerous woman," Ruo brought up.

"She's definitely complicated," Tai admitted. "All Qrow ever says is that…she doesn't miss Yang." Ruo sighed as he sat down, contemplating what to say next.

"If you don't mind me asking…why won't you tell Yang?"

He didn't receive an answer from Tai, meaning that he did mind him asking that question. Ruo decided to drop it and walked over to a different counter to get Huzhao and train himself. Just as he was about to reach the door, Tai stopped him.

"Qrow is right," he admitted. "Raven is dangerous. I was going to tell Yang at first, but after she took off with Ruby when they were kids…" He sighed.

"I had never felt so scared in my life," Tai continued. "Nor do I forget the scolding I gave Yang afterwards. I was scared that if I told Yang…she would repeat the same mistake."

"With respect, Mr. Xiao Long, Yang learned from her mistake," Ruo spoke. "She's still looking for her, but-"

"Seriously?" Yang's voice interrupted their conversation. She had an angry look on her face as she walked down the stairs and approached her father and boyfriend.

"He gets to know about Raven, but I don't!?" she shouted.

"Yang, calm down," Tai demanded. "It's not that simple."

"I'm not a kid anymore," she pointed out. "I'm not going to go off and do something stupid like I did! Do you really doubt me that much!?"

"I do not doubt you," Tai spoke gently, yet firmly, not allowing his daughter's anger to intimidate him.

"Then why won't you tell me about the woman who was supposed to be my mother, but abandoned me instead!?" Yang demanded to know.

"Because I don't know what she'd do to you," Tai replied, starting to get firmer in his tone. "But you did have a mother."

"Who I lost when I was only a kid!" Yang barked. "I had to be a mom and a sister to Ruby for years. I had to carry everything by myself for years because you were too busy feeling sorry for yourself! You're not the only one who cared about them, Dad!"

"Yang!" Ruo called out. The blonde looked at him with blazing red eyes, angry that he was getting on her instead of her dad. Ruo didn't back down, instead looking back at her, silently demanding she stop her verbal assault.

"Whatever," she responded before going back upstairs.

Ruo looked over at Tai to see him with a rather sad expression on his face. Deep down, he knew Yang was right; after losing both Raven and Summer, he had shut down and hadn't been the father he should've been to Yang and Ruby. Instead, all the responsibility of keeping the family together fell onto Yang, who hadn't even reached puberty by that time. He had no bigger regret than what he had done to his daughter.

"Mr. Xiao Long?" he asked.

"I need to go get something for her," he replied as he walked out the door. "See you in an hour."

"Be careful," Ruo replied. After Tai walked out, Ruo followed after him, but stop at the front yard with Huzhao equipped. He took a fighting position before unleashing a frenzy of slashes.

He then equipped his ice Dust and dug his claws in the ground. He paused for a moment before breaking them free, thus unleashing a barrage of ice spikes at a tree, several of them piercing its trunk.

"Don't maim our front yard," Yang spoke callously from the balcony as she started sweeping.

"The ice will melt soon," Ruo stated. The blonde didn't say anything. This prompted Ruo to speak.

"You didn't have to say that to your dad." Yang stopped sweeping and looked over at Ruo. She stared at him for several seconds before returning to her chore.

"I know you're hurting, Yang-"

"What do you know!?" she barked, throwing the broom to the floor and showing the tied up sleeve of her jacket. "My arm is gone! It's never coming back!"

"I know that, Yang," Ruo shot back. "Don't take your anger out on us."

"What the hell do you know?!" Yang shouted.

Ruo growled, losing his patience with the blonde brawler. She knew she was hurting, but she was acting like she was the only one. She seemed completely indifferent to the fact that she was one of many victims of the Fall of Beacon.

He was having enough.

"I know what it's like to have a maimed body," Ruo reminded her. "I know that I had to see two of my teammates on medical beds, fearing if they survived! Robin lost his eyes and Math isn't able to use his right arm because the nerves in it are too badly damaged!"

"If you care so much about your teammates, then why aren't you with them?" Yang questioned.

"Because I love you!" he proclaimed. "I came here to help you because of how much you mean to me. I wanted to help you-"

"Well, I never asked for your help!" Yang denied. "You can do whatever you want. I don't care."

"Don't push me away," Ruo insisted. "Don't push me away like you did to Ruby."

"I didn't push her away, she chose to leave!" Yang responded with immense anger. "I didn't tell her to run away and leave us! If she doesn't to be here, then fine! I don't care anymore!"

"You know that's not true," the White Tiger responded. "You're just saying those things because you're angry and hurting."

This time, Yang didn't respond, but Ruo could sense she was still angry at him for bringing up Ruby. She could deny it all she wanted, but deep down, she still cared for Ruby. However, she didn't take it well when Ruby had suddenly left to travel with Jaune, Nora and Ren to go to Haven.

Yang had not been taking anything well. Not the loss of her arm, not Weiss being forced back to Atlas, not Blake leaving without saying a word, not Ruby leaving for Haven, not the fact that Adam Taurus hadn't been stopped yet…all of it weighed down on Yang heavily.

Ruo sighed and decided to end the conversation as he walked over to deink from a glass of water. He suddenly lost his grip and the glass fell, shattering on the ground.

A loud gasp was heard from the balcony, coming from Yang, who looked as if she was having a panic attack. Ruo's eyes widened as he leapt onto the balcony and quickly brought Yang in for an embrace. She shook badly for a few moments until she finally calmed down as Ruo held her gently.

"It's okay," he assured in a soft tone. After Yang calmed down, she returned the embrace, her anger from before seemingly all gone.

"Do you think he's still in Vale?" Yang asked as she broke away.

"Not likely," Ruo replied. "Sienna Khan, the current leader of the White Fang, would've called him back to their headquarters. She never would've approved of an attack like this." Yang turned away, holding her tied up sleeve.

"Every night I go to sleep, I always think of how Adam is there," she confessed. "Every night, it's the same thing. I'm back at Beacon, he walks up to me…and I'm powerless to stop him." The anger and frustration returned as she gripped her fist.

"Yang, you're not invincible," Ruo spoke. "We're not always stronger than those we face. Maybe one day, we will-"

"I feel powerless," Yang repeated. "I feel powerless…and I can't stand it!" She buried her head in her hand in frustration at her current state.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to feel powerless, to feel like you can't do anything?" Yang asked.

"Yes," Ruo answered. "I've felt that way before."

"When?" she questioned.

"When my mother abused me during our time in the White Fang," Ruo stated. "And when Robin lost his eyes. I thought time and time again that if we hadn't been separated, I could've prevented it. When he and Math were on those medical beds, I felt powerless to help them."

Yang just leaned on the balcony rail as she looked off into the distance. This gave Ruo the impression she was no longer in the mood for talking, so he decided to go back to his training after cleaning up the glass from before.

Several times, Ruo found himself out of breath, needing a minute to recover. He was getting frustrated at his limited stamina, which he knew was a critical weakness in his fighting style. It was proven that much in his fight with Mercury, who had managed to gain the advantage over him when his stamina was close to running out.

"I have to better my stamina," Ruo whispered. "I need to be able to last longer against my foes. I won't always be able to rely on my Invisibility."

Despite training every day during the six months since the Fall of Beacon, Ruo had seen little improvement in his stamina. He had to learn how to last longer while not running out of breath so quickly.

Was it just his body? It couldn't be his overeating since he had become more modest in his appetite since he dated Yang; just as he had kept her temper in check, she had kept his appetite in check as well. It couldn't be that anymore.

Ruo finally had enough training for the day and went to take a shower. As he walked in, he saw Yang on the couch, watching VNN.

" _Ever since the Fall of Beacon, the CCT has remained inoperable, leaving Vale unable to communicate with the other kingdoms. With the claims of Atlas being responsible for this tragedy six months ago, everyone is pointing the fingers at Atlas. Back to you, Jacob Fern."_

" _Thank you, Lisa. Atlas's Dust Embargo has raised much controversy. General James Ironwood, Headmaster of Atlas Academy and being blamed by many for the Fall of Beacon, has refused to speak about the issue, but the Council assures that the Dust Embargo is merely a temporary measure until they are certain no one will declare war. Despite many Atlesians demanding his resignation from Headmaster, General, and Councilman, he still retains his positions, though the Atlas Council is currently debating whether to strip General Ironwood of his rank and powers. And now back to you, Lisa."_

" _All attempts to stop the two terrorist leaders responsible for the Fall of Beacon have remained unsuccessful. Adam Taurus, leader of a group of White Fang, and the Commander of the Iron Knights, now identified as Nachtfel, have not been sighted in Vale ever since that tragic night. All local Huntsmen are searching for them now, but are advised to use extreme caution."_

"They'll find him," Ruo assured Yang as he walked up the stairs to the shower. After cleaning himself off of his sweat and feeling refreshed, he came back to the living room, fully clothed to see Yang still there. However, something was different; a box holding a metallic arm was placed on the table in front of her.

"What's that?" Ruo asked as he walked down the stairs.

"That's something General Ironwood sent her," Tai answered.

"That's amazing," the Faunus exclaimed.

Yang's expression, however, remained callous and uninterested. She didn't seem at all moved by the idea of having a replacement limb, even though it would mean allowing her to return to action.

"Aren't you going to try it on?" Tai asked.

"Maybe," Yang replied, her voice devoid of her previous enthusiasm.

"Well, I'll at least take it up to your room," Ruo offered as he put the lid on the box and was about to pick it up, but Tai beat him to it.

"I'll take it," he insisted, leaving no room for argument.

-0-

Robin changed the new bandage around his eyes; even though they weren't bloodied anymore, they still needed to be change to prevent infection. He reached for his cane as he walked from his bedroom to the bathroom, making sure not to bump into anything as he did. When he got there, he felt for the sink and then washed his face off.

He couldn't see it now, but he had started to grow stubble and his red hair had grown longer and unkempt. But he didn't care since he couldn't see it…ever again.

"Robin, come on down," Anrydd insisted. The red haired archer grabbed his cane again and found his way to the stairs, slowly stepping down each one as he approached the living room.

He suddenly felt a hand, belonging to Dearg, guiding him to the table where dinner was being served. Robin leaned his cane on his chair before sitting down.

"What are we having tonight?" he asked.

"Ham, potatoes and salad," Anrydd answered. His father put his plate in front of his blinded son and guided his hands to his utensils. Robin jerked away and felt for them before finding his fork and knife.

"You got a letter from Nasser," Gwyn informed.

"What did it say?" Robin asked. He heard one of them opened a paper, most likely Dearg.

" _Robin,_

 _I hope you're doing good. Things have been very rough for us since Goodwitch started leading the mission to retake Beacon Academy. We've already lost a tenth of our force while the Grimm don't seem to end at all. At this point, many of us are considering abandoning the mission, but Goodwitch keeps saying that Beacon must be retaken and we don't want a Grimm-infested area right next to us. It's been rough and, to be honest, I'm considering leaving as well. I just feel it's a lost cause._

 _Coco still acts like the time apart from you isn't bothering her, but I can tell it is. She still cares about you and you need to let her know that. You've got a good thing with her; don't screw it up just because you're mad. I hope to see you soon._

 _Your pal,_

 _Nasser."_

"Math also received a letter from him as well," Gwyn added. "We hope Beacon can be retaken."

"Nasser said that the Grimm's numbers are swelling every day," Robin brought up. "It's been six months and they've barely gained any ground. They're not anywhere near the Academy."

"Well, I think they shouldn't just give up," Anrydd replied. "If there's a chance we retake the Academy, we should."

"Just so more people can die?" the archer asked. "Haven't we lost enough already?"

"Robin," Anrydd addressed. "We cannot just allow the Grimm to multiply. What could stop them from leaving Beacon and marching on Vale? We're vulnerable enough as it is. Something has to be done."

"Well, maybe it wouldn't be so difficult if Ironwood hadn't abandoned us," Robin suggested, turning away from the table.

"You know why General Ironwood had to leave," Anrydd pointed out. "He's taking the heat for the Fall of Beacon; everyone is pointing fingers at Atlas for what happened. Even if he were to ask if he could help, everyone would be suspicious of him, especially with the new Dust Embargo."

"That's not all," Dearg spoke. "There's been rumors going around that he's trying to convince the Council to close Atlas's borders."

"What?" Gwyn gasped. "Are you serious?"

"Doesn't Ironwood realize what he's doing isn't helping Atlas?" Anrydd questioned. "The Dust Embargo has already cut our Dust supplies short, which is leaving us and the other kingdoms barely prepared if the Grimm come back in full force. And now closing the borders? This is the worse time to be pulling these kinds of measures."

"I can't believe this," Robin groaned. "He brings so many troops to keep Vale safe, but when we actually need help, he turns his back on us."

"Robin, knock it off," Gwyn told her son. Robin let out a groan of frustration as he got up from his seat.

"I can't live like this!" he shouted, grabbing his face. "My eyes…"

"We know perfectly well," Anrydd sternly responded. "You've been saying so for months. We know you're hurting son, but this is getting ridiculous."

"Ridiculous!?" he snapped. "My chances of being a Huntsman are gone because I lost my eyes and with them, my Semblance!"

"That doesn't mean your chances of being a Huntsman are gone," his father said. "There are many Huntsmen who suffered an injury and managed to return to action! The only reason you haven't returned to action is because you've just been sitting around and complaining. This is exactly why Coco left you."

"Anrydd!" Gwyn called out.

"Mom, it's true," Dearg agreed. "Robin's done nothing but complain and feel sorry for himself for these past months!"

"Well, forgive me," the archer shot back. "Losing your eyes and your Semblance can do that to a person."

"Quit acting like you're the only one hurting," Dearg demanded. "I did enough of that. If I can get over myself, why can't you? Your teammates are still alive; you have them to talk to."

"No, I don't," Robin denied. "Math's too busy smooching with his girlfriend. Ruo left us for Yang. Nasser is fighting a hopeless battle that will get him killed. My team's as good as gone."

"That's enough!" Anrydd silenced him. "You're just saying those things because you're hurting. Your teammates are struggling as well as many people throughout the Kingdoms; stop thinking you're the only one hurting."

Robin didn't want to hear anymore of this; he grabbed his cane and started to walk upstairs.

He hadn't spoken to Coco ever since he pushed her away in anger. She hadn't tried to contact him either, possibly telling him that she was done having to put up with him being self-centered when angry or hurt. She even revealed that her teammate and best friend, Velvet Scarlatina, had died during the Fall of Beacon, a tragedy that had clearly affected Coco from what Nasser had said.

From what he had heard, the main cause of her death was being near crushed by an Atlesian Paladin during their retreat from Beacon. Even though her weapon was extremely efficient against the Paladins, she was overwhelmed.

When her parents received the news of her deaths, they were devastated. The funeral, along with dozens of others, was held several months ago and she was now buried in the Vale cemetery besides many of those who fell at Beacon.

Honestly, he wished he had died at Beacon instead of just sitting here, a blind man robbed of his Semblance. His teammates were struggling, true; Math's arm had shown no signs of improvement, forbidding him from continuing his training. Ruo was trying to be of best of help he could to Yang, despite her trying to push him away. Nasser was fighting to retake Beacon, but was losing faith in their battle against the endless Grimm.

They were struggling, but they still had their Semblances. Only he had lost one of the most vital parts of being a Huntsman.

He finally slid down against the wall and broke down into tears. He felt powerless, helpless, robbed of his potential, unable to continue fighting…he wanted this feeling to stop, but it never could. He could have his eyes back and it hurt him more than everything else had endured.

"Damn you, Emerald," he spoke between tears. "Damn you. Damn Cinder. Damn Mercury. Damn all of you to hell!"

He felt two arms wrap around him; at first, he thought it was his mother, but when he heard 'I'm here for you', it belonged to his brother. Robin returned the embrace as he continued crying.

"I wish…I wish I had died at Beacon," he tearfully admitted. "I'd rather die than live like this." He felt Dearg's arms slowly pull away.

"You wish you were dead?" Dearg asked. "How could you say something like that?"

"Because I could've been honored as one of those who died defending our kingdom," Robin answered. "Instead, I'm just wasting away here with no hope."

"There is hope," Dearg firmly stated. "I used to feel that way after I left. But now I realize that were was hope all along; I was just too bitter to see it. It's not over."

Robin stopped his tears and just sat there, leaning against the wall as Dearg sat next to him.

Was there really hope for him with his eyes gone? Was he being too bitter to see the hope? He hoped his brother was right, because he needed hope in himself now more than ever.


	3. On the Hunt

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 3: On the Hunt**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"Six months and he's nowhere to be found," Forest spoke as he sat at a fire with Sterling and Ruadh, tending to Rohkeus. "He couldn't have just vanished into thin air."

"Do you really think Salem has possibly recruited him personally?" Sterling asked his team leader.

"Well, it'd definitely serve her interests," the swordsman replied. "Nachtfel is commander of one of the largest anti-Huntsmen militias in Remnant. There's never been such an organized group before like them, other than the White Fang."

"Where could they be planning to attack next?" Ruadh wondered. "With the Fall Maiden possibly on their side, the Relic of Choice could be well within her grasp."

"She'll never find it," Forest assured. "We both know Ozpin has made constant modifications to make finding the Relic near impossible. Only he knows where it is…and he never shared it."

Forest felt his blood boil a little after saying Ozpin's name. Not only had he used Math for his own agenda, but he had lied to him in the hopes of roping him into his war with Salem.

Hearing him considering to force the Fall Maiden's power onto Pyrrha crossed a line; from what Glaucus told him, even Qrow, his most loyal companion, questioned this decision. Ironwood outright showed his support for doing so, claiming that it was for the greater good.

"Hypocrites," Forest thought to himself. "For wanting to protect people, they sure have no problem putting the lives of others in danger nor forcing others to fight their battles without telling them what they're truly up against."

"Are you okay, laddie?" Ruadh asked his friend. Forest was snapped out of his derogatory thoughts of Ozpin and looked over to his teammate.

"I still can't believe Ozpin would consider something like that," the eagle spoke. "I knew Ozpin was secretive, but that crosses a line. He cares more about beating Salem than he does about the lives of those caught in the conflict."

"That's why we left," Sterling reminded his team leader. "So, what's our plan for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, we continue further north," Forest answered. "I've managed to find a trail that leads to a supply camp. I haven't been able to deduce whether it's just bandits or the Iron Knights, which is why when we get closer, I'll scout it out. If it's just bandits, then we abandon the trail."

"Abandon the trail?" Ruadh asked.

"I'd rather stop bandits as well, but we don't know the Iron Knights' timetable," Forest stated. "If we could find one of Nachtfel's lieutenants, we could hopefully find out what they're planning."

"Or what their next target is," Sterling suggested. "We should get some sleep soon."

"I'll keep watch first," Forest insisted. His teammates dozed off to sleep while Forest kept watch. Only a few minutes after they did, Forest caught sight of a black raven perched on a branch several feet away. He narrowed his eyes at it before it flew off and seemingly disappeared.

-0-

 _Pyrrha looked around, seeing the destroyed tower that was once Ozpin's office. Faint screaming and echoes were all over the place, making her feel uneasy. The office was in ruins, flames burning among the debris and red Grimm eyes looking all over the place._

 _She looked to the right to see…Amber, her hand stretched out as if calling for help. She uttered the words 'Please…no…"_

" _Please no?" Pyrrha asked. "What…?"_

" _Salutations!" another voice greeted, easily identified as Penny. Pyrrha turned once again to see the girl she had accidentally killed, whose death triggered the Fall of Beacon. To her horror, her body carried her decapitated head; she was smiling, but her face already looked as if she was dead._

" _Penny?" she asked._

" _I will enjoy finally facing you in combat!" she cheerfully greeted, disturbing Pyrrha as she backed away from her._

" _Come on now!" Penny insisted, smiling in a cheerful manner, but came off as incredibly disturbing. "Don't you want to fight me?"_

" _Stay away!" Pyrrha demanded._

" _Do you want to kill me?" she asked innocently. Pyrrha's heart was racing now as Penny's body suddenly fell apart, a perfect reminder of how she looked after she as torn to pieces._

" _It's a pleasure to meet you," she said again smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you. It's a pleasure to meet you."_

" _Stop it!" Pyrrha cried out. Suddenly, Penny was silent, still wearing the disturbing smile that was supposed to look innocent. Her eyes moved to look directly at Pyrrha and said very disturbing words._

" _It's a pleasure to be killed by you."_

" _Don't you see?" another voice spoke from behind. Pyrrha swiftly looked behind her and turned when she saw none other than her former Headmaster: Ozpin._

" _What…what's going on?" she questioned._

" _Don't you realize what you've done?" he asked, gesturing to the destroyed tower. "This is all your fault!"_

" _No!" Pyrrha cried out. "I was tricked! I didn't mean to kill Penny! It was an accident!"_

" _If it weren't for you, Penny would still be alive!" Ozpin barked. "Many people would still be alive! But now they're dead…all because you care only about yourself! You should've taken the Maiden powers!"_

" _I couldn't," the Amazon teared up. "I loved Math too much."_

" _Well, you don't deserve him!" Ozpin shouted. "You deserve to live the rest of your life alone like the wretch you are!"_

" _Leave me alone!" Pyrrha pleaded, falling to her knees, wanting the torturous visions to stop._

" _You don't deserve anyone for your selfishness!" Ozpin stated. "Jaune, Ren, Nora…I hope they die because you chose yourself-"_

 _Ozpin's sentence was cut off as he was shot with an arrow and disintegrated into ashes. Pyrrha looked in the direction of where the arrow came from; her eyes widened in horror as Cinder slowly approached her, her eyes glowing and having a demonic smirk on her face._

" _It's a shame you were promised a power that was never truly yours," she mocked. "But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never have imagined."_

" _You're a monster!" Pyrrha shouted. She suddenly found her sword and shield in her hands. She rushed at Cinder and prepared to slash at her torso, but as soon as she did, the metal heated up intensely and broke apart just as it hit Cinder's body._

" _You know what I should've done to you?" the false Maiden taunted as she grabbed Pyrrha by the throat. "I should've burned you to ashes. I would've loved to see Math's reaction to that, to see the woman he loved burned alive…just for my entertainment." She summoned a blazing hot sword and swung at Pyrrha's head._

The redhead woke up in a panic, no longer finding herself at Beacon Tower, but instead in a bed. The lights quickly turned on and then two arms wrapped around her, which she tried to fight.

"Pyrrha, calm down!" a voice spoke. "Calm down! It was just a nightmare! You're fine!" It took several moments until Pyrrha finally calmed down.

She realized she was no longer at Beacon Tower; Amber, Penny, Ozpin and Cinder were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the only person present was Mathdon, her beloved. She broke down into tears and wrapped her arms around him.

"It was just a nightmare," he spoke softly. She cried into his shoulder, her pains and trauma becoming bare after experiencing yet another nightmare.

"I keep seeing her," she cried. "I keep seeing Amber…Penny…Ozpin. I see them all, even that monster…Cinder." Just then, the door to Pyrrha's room opened again to see Corcra walking in.

"What happened?" she asked. "Is she okay?"

"It was another nightmare, mom," Math answered, hearing Pyrrha cry and was unable to give an answer of her own.

After making sure Pyrrha had calmed down, Corcra walked out the room and turned off the hall light. Math was about to follow suite, but Pyrrha reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Please…don't go," she pleaded. "I need you."

Even though he knew his Mom didn't like the idea of them sleeping in the same bed, Math couldn't ignore the look of pain in her eyes. She simply couldn't be left alone; being reminded of the horrors that night made it impossible for her to do so.

"Okay," Math agreed as he slid under the covers and held her close. She buried her face in his shoulder, her eyes still stained from the horrible nightmare she had endured.

"Listen to me, Pyrrha," Math whispered as he gently stroked her hair. "What happened that night was not your fault. It was Cinder. Her…and her alone."

"I miss them," Pyrrha responded.

"Your teammates?" Math asked.

"I should be out there with them," she believed. "I should-"

"You're suffering with injuries, Pyrrha," the swordsman reminded her. "They have no right to blame you for not being there. You need time to recover. We both do before we're ready to fight with our teammates again."

The two of them laid there quietly in each other's embrace, Pyrrha wanting the comfort only her beloved could give him. She snuggled into him as much as she could, knowing he'd have to get up early in order to avoid being caught by his mom.

"I wish we could stay like this as long as we want," the redhead spoke gently.

"Me too," Math agreed. "So, let's enjoy it for now." Pyrrha smiled.

"Good, because you're so warm." She kissed his cheek and went off to sleep in his embrace.

Mathdon couldn't do anything but feel sorry for the woman he loved. That night had truly traumatized her: being tricked into killing Penny, having the Maiden powers forced on her, nearly being killed by Cinder…it was still taking its toll on her and the injuries she sustained weren't helping. Her torso were the arrow had pierced her had healed for the most part, but her heel needed more time.

She was in a hurt state and she needed comfort and support just as much as he did. The two just laid there, drifting off to sleep.

-0-

The morning had come around and Forest was scouting ahead to validate the trail he found. He needed to know if they were indeed Iron Knights or just something else.

He didn't like it, but they didn't have time to fight every bandit group within earshot. The Iron Knights had to take priority; they had simply become too bold and dangerous to ignore, which made them a far bigger threat to the safety of others.

" _See anything?"_ Sterling asked over his telepathic link.

" _Nothing,"_ Forest answered. _"Wait…I see smoke in the distance."_ Forest perched himself on a branch to see black smoke in the distance.

" _Which direction?"_ Sterling asked.

" _Northeast,"_ Forest answered. _"I'll fly on ahead, see if there are survivors."_ Forest flew off in the direction of the smoke with Sterling and Ruadh following after him. A village came into view; it was easy to find, but hard to look at.

The buildings had been laid to waste, flames burning the wood rather violently. The bodies of many people laid dead, their corpses littering the road and homes. Forest changed to his human form and looked around in horror at this massacre. He stopped when he saw an orphanage, which he identified by the broken sign that had fallen to the ground.

He slowly opened the door to look inside, but found nothing…at first. When he went up the stairs, the corpses of innocents covered the floor in blood. One of them…no more than four years old.

"Who did this?" Forest wondered. He walked outside of the orphanage and saw something he didn't before. He saw a crude sign, a piece of wood attached to a spear put in the ground. The blood-soaked writing on it read "Death to the Huntsmen! Glory to the Iron Knights!" Forest tightened his fist in anger.

"Forest!" Sterling called out as he and Ruadh arrived, only to be horrified by the massacre before them. The two of them hurried up to their leader and gazed upon the sign before them.

"The Iron Knights did this?" the Snow Fox Faunus asked. "How could they be so cruel?"

"Cruel is an understatement," Forest responded. At first, they didn't know what he meant, but Ruadh immediately realized it when he saw the sign reading 'Orphanage'. He hurried inside to look for himself; after walking back out, his face said it all: horror.

"To slaughter innocent, defenseless children?" Ruadh growled. "This…this isn't freedom, this is murder!"

"Which is why we must stop them," Forest declared. "We cannot prevent every tragedy they cause, but we can stop them. We must or more will pay the price like they did at Beacon."

Growling was heard from the forest. The three of them turned around to see a pack of over a dozen Beowulves and Raptors approach the settlement, which was expected considering the immense negativity.

"Grimm," Ruadh stated as he pulled out his axe, bearing his helmet emblem on the blade.

"Plenty of them," Sterling replied as he pulled out his double bow, bearing his emblem of a Snow Fox.

Forest said nothing as he unsheathed his sword at the oncoming threat. The Grimm charged at the three hunters, who fought back.

While Forest and Ruadh charged forward, Sterling nocked three arrows onto his bow and fired, taking down three Beowulves. He leapt over a Raptor and shot an arrow straight through its head, killing it in one shot.

Forest slashed swiftly at a Beowulf, cutting it in half before driving his sword into a Raptor's stomach. He then activated his gauntlet shield and brutally punched another Raptor in the face, knocking it to the ground. He then continued to punch it again and again until it was dead.

"Ha ha!" Ruadh cheered as he cleaved his axe into a Beowulf's skull. He then leapt forward and landed onto two Raptors; while they pinned to the ground, he grabbed their heads and smashed them against the ground.

"Sterling!" he called out. "Five already!"

"I'm on thirteen," the Faunus replied playfully, making his teammate lose his cocky smile.

The ground suddenly shook, alerting the three fighters that a new Grimm, a bigger one, was on its way. The trees crashed down as the new Grimm came closer and closer to the fight.

When it arrived, they knew that they were now up against a Mork Gigant. It appeared humanoid, complete different from the usual Grimm everyone else encountered. It let out a savage roar as it approached, accidentally stepping on and killing a Raptor under its weight.

"A Mork Gigant!" Ruadh exclaimed. He was about to load a rocket into his weapon, but a Beowulf pounced on him and dragged him across the ground with its mouth before tossing him against one of the building.

"Ruadh!" Forest called out. He dodged in time to miss the Mork Gigant's fist brought down. He then immediately rushed up and ferociously slashed at the Gigant's face, making stand back and roar.

"Aim for its throat!" Sterling told them. "That's its vulnerable area!"

"But its throat is protected by its armor," Ruadh responded. "I don't have a lot of rockets left. I'd need a clear shot to destroy its neck armor."

"Leave that to me," Forest assured as he changed into his eagle form and flew above the Mork Gigant. The Grimm swung at him, but it missed just as he turned back into his human form.

He leapt onto the Gigant's head and dug his sword into its head, but its dermal armor prevented the blade from delivering a fatal wound. Luckily, that wasn't his intent…nor was it having to endure the ear-piercing roar of pain from the Grimm.

"Now, Ruadh!" Forest instructed. Ruadh quickly loaded a rocket into his weapon and aimed; when he had a clear shot, he blasted the armor to pieces, allowing Sterling to quickly fire two arrows at its throat. While it did some damage, Forest delivered the killing blow by leaping over the Gigant's head and slashing its throat wide open. The giant Grimm fell down on its back as it disintegrated, landing with a loud 'boom' as it hit the ground.

"Final count, fifteen," Sterling cockily told his teammate.

"Fifteen?" Ruadh asked. "That's not bad for a pointy eared Fox." He then grinned.

"I'm afraid I'm sitting on sixteen."

"Oh, wait," Sterling spoke hastily. "I helped kill the Mork Gigant, meaning I'm on twenty."

"Twenty?" Ruadh asked in disbelief. "It still only counts as one."

"Big ones that are more difficult to defeat are worth more," Sterling justified.

"I helped as well-"

"Can you two please settle this later?" Forest asked. "Does anyone else hear bells ringing?" They all just looked at each other.

"Well, this was a bust," Ruadh spoke. "Not only did we witness the aftermath of a tragedy, but-"

"But it's not over yet," Forest stated. "The Iron Knights will pay for this, which is why we must continue to track them." He then started looking around the village, hoping to find a trail that the Iron Knights left behind. Luckily, due to his experience as a tracker, finding it was easy.

"I found a trail!" he alerted his teammates. "After the massacre, they went north. The trail is fresh, so if we hurry, we can catch up to them. Hopefully, one of Nachtfel's lieutenants is with them. If they are, we can get them to tell us what their plan is…and hopefully which Academy they plan on hitting next."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ruadh asked.

-0-

Glaucus used his Fire Dust to launch a fireball at another Iron Knight, killing them on impact. He then took down another one with a swift strike of his staff before slashing their helmet open with his sword. The last one who took out with a blast of his Gravity Dust.

"Are you okay?" Corcra asked Glaucus as she put up her guandao.

"I'll be fine," Glaucus assured as he put his pipe in his mouth and smoked, sitting down on a bench as the bodies were being cleaned up. "How are Math and Saf? Are they recovering well?" Corcra looked down with sadness in her eyes for the state her two children were in.

"Math is doing his best, but his arm is still unstable," she answered. "I'm just happy he has Pyrrha to lean on. But Saf…she's…not doing well at all."

"Well, she did lose her entire team," Glaucus remembered. "Had to watch all of them die as well. I cannot imagine it's easy to deal with."

"I wish she had gone back to Haven," Corcra responded as she sat down next to him. "Now she's just at the home, doing nothing. She lashes out at everyone because she doesn't know how to deal with the losses of her teammates."

"Have you considered sending them to counseling?" the Gray Wanderer suggested.

"Math's open to it, but Saf's being very stubborn about it," she answered. "I think she's afraid to go back to the Huntress life without her teammates. They meant everything to her."

Glaucus sighed as he felt sympathy for them, Corcra the most. She had to carry so much responsibility ever since her husband, Donovan, divorced her out of selfishness. She had been unable to fight on Math's behalf when he was unjustly expelled from Aurum Academy.

One thing she had been able to do for them was be a kind and loving, yet stern mother. She had made sure they grew up with a strong set of morals, caring about honor, courage and other traits valuable to a Huntsman's development.

"They're lucky to have you," Glaucus spoke.

"Excuse me?" Corcra asked.

"Math and Saf…they're lucky to have you," the Gray Wanderer repeated. "You've done so much for them."

"I had to," Corcra replied. "I had to be there for them. I did the best I could as their mother."

"Well, you did a very good job," Glaucus complimented as he put his pipe in his sack.

"I never got to thank you," Corcra spoke. "I never thanked you for saving my daughter's life. She would've died if not for you. If she had…" A tear ran down Corcra's cheek.

When she saw her two children on medical beds, she had never been so scared in her life. They were her family, her offspring, the people she had raised from birth; to see them in such a state frightened her beyond words. If she had lost either one of them, she didn't what she'd do.

"They're alive," Glaucus reminded. "They're alive and they have a chance to recover. They just need the push."

"I know they do," Corcra agreed. "But it's obvious they're still suffering. I…Normally, I do give them the push, but with everything that's happened, I don't know what to do."

"Then for now, be there for them," Glaucus insisted. "One day, the solution will come. They will find the drive to become stronger again, to continue their training." Corcra looked over to Glaucus and smiled.

"Thank you," she replied. "I pray the solution does come. I better head home; I think I've fought enough Iron Knights today."

"Have a good rest of the day," Glaucus said. As Corcra walked away, Glaucus smiled as he knew something that would help Mathdon with his injured arm. He definitely didn't want to spoil it for them; he wanted Math and Robin to be excited as they could when they receive the items General Ironwood was sending them.

"They'll be back in action," the Gray Wanderer stated with a confident smile. "Because when you've hit the bottom, the only place left to go is up." His scroll suddenly buzzed, indicating that he was receiving a call. He opened it to show 'Glynda Goodwitch' appear on his screen, much to his chagrin. Reluctantly, he answered.

"Hello?" he greeted.

" _Glaucus, why aren't you here?"_ Glynda questioned. _"Have you forgotten the mission we were entrusted with?"_

"No, I haven't," Glaucus sourly replied. "I also don't forget the fact that Ozpin forced the Maiden powers on Pyrrha. If Forest hadn't left before I found out-"

" _We did what we had to,"_ Goodwitch justified. _"The Maiden powers were too dangerous to let them fall into the wrong hands."_

"Last I remembered, you were against it as much as I was," the Gray Wanderer reminded her. "Do you have any idea what you sound like?"

" _I sound like someone who's remembering how important it is that we secure the Relic of Choice,"_ Goodwitch shot back. _"We cannot just let it fall into Salem's hands."_

"It won't," Glaucus assured. "None of us have ever been able to find it. Valkoin was one of our smartest members and even he couldn't find the Vault."

" _Well, I'm not taking the chance,"_ Goodwitch claimed. _"We must retake Beacon. We must get it back."_

"At what cost?" Glaucus demanded to know.

" _At ANY cost,"_ Glynda responded.

Glaucus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had known Glynda Goodwitch, the combat instructor at Beacon, to be strict, but reasonable and level-headed. She had always been a voice of reason among their faction, as a teacher and as a friend.

The woman he was hearing was barely sounding like the Glynda Goodwitch he knew. She was being impulsive, erratic, unreasonable, and willing to sacrifice the lives of her force if it meant getting the Relic of Choice. She was becoming blind to everything other than her mission to retake Beacon and ensure the safety of the Relic.

"Do you have any idea what you sound like?" Glaucus asked her once more. "How can you be so willing to throw away their lives?"

" _Because it's necessary,"_ Glynda responded before hanging up. Glaucus growled in anger at Goodwitch's behavior.

"I understand we need to secure the Relic, but now is not the time," the Gray Wanderer spoke. "Vale has been dealt a crippling blow. Our forces are already stretched thin as it is. There's no telling how it is in the other kingdoms."

Glaucus sat back down and thought about what the Iron Knights could be planning next? Had Nachtfel been brought into Salem's circle? Did they plan on striking one of the other Academies? It was probable, considering how much they hated the Huntsmen, which fit right into Salem's goals.

"I just pray we can prevent another tragedy like this from happening," Glaucus replied.

 **Author's Notes: I hope you're enjoying Volume 4 so far! If youhave any constructive criticism to share on how to improve my series, just let me know by review or PM. Also, make sure to vote for your favorite MRRN member on my poll on my profile! Keep reading, fellow writers!**


	4. Remembering the Past

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 4: Remembering the Past**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

 **Author's Notes: I'd like to give a shoutout to several Fanfics I've been reading!**

 **The Wanderer** **by Red Eyes Shadow Dragon**

 **SLVR: A Beacon of Hope by DarkHero12**

 **PALDN Volume One by PaladinofArgyle**

 **Someone Special (Yang x Male Reader) by SlinkyDog**

" _Ruby!" Penny's voice cried out. "Help me!"_

" _Ruby!" Yang's voice followed. "How could you abandon me!? I thought we were sisters!"_

Ruby woke up in near panic from her nightmare. It had become harder for her to sleep ever since she had left her home on Patch with Jaune, Ren and Nora. She had become tired, weary, and barely holding up against any Grimm they encountered.

Unable to get back to sleep, she got out of her sleeping bag and walked through the trees until she found a branch to sit on. She looked up at the shattered moon that orbited around Remnant, thinking of the past six months that had happened.

She wanted justice for those who died the night Beacon was attacked. The very first victim had been none other than Penny Polendina, an innocent and curious girl who had become Ruby's friend ever since the night at the docks. She remembered a conversation she had with her.

" _Penny, how do you plan on coming to Beacon?" Ruby asked as she and Penny walked across the Beacon courtyard the day after Yang's and Weiss's match against Team FNKI._

" _I'll talk things out with my father," she answered. "It may take some convincing, but I'm sure I can persuade to let me attend Beacon."_

" _Why is he so protective of you?" Ruby asked as they stopped near the CCT._

" _He's afraid of people finding out…that I'm…not real," Penny answered as if ashamed of herself. "He's afraid of what could happen. I'm the first of my kind; a robotic being able to generate an Aura." Ruby put her hand on Penny's shoulder._

" _You are real," she assured. "Don't ever forget that. You're real and you're my friend." Penny smiled as she touched Ruby's arm._

" _Thank you, Ruby," she replied. "I'm glad to have you as my friend." The two of them hugged for several moments before two Atlesian soldiers approached them._

" _Excuse me, but she needs to come with us," one of them said._

" _I'm coming," Penny assured. She left with the soldiers, waving to the red hooded girl as she walked away._

"Penny," Ruby spoke, feeling a tear run down her cheek. "I could've saved you. I could've prevented this."

"Ruby?" Jaune asked, nearly making the girl shriek. When she saw it was her friend, she calmed down.

"Hey, Jaune," she replied.

"What are you doing up?" he asked her. "We need to get some sleep."

"I can't," Ruby replied solemnly, losing her welcoming smile. Jaune climbed up the tree to sit next to Ruby, though he struggled to maintain his balance at first, making Ruby laugh.

"It's about Beacon, isn't it?" he asked her. Ruby sighed and looked up to the moon as Jaune followed suite.

"She did all this," the reaper Huntress stated. "Cinder…" She tightened her fists in anger.

She, Mercury and Emerald had fooled her into thinking that they were friendly, genuine people. She offered them a smile whenever they crossed paths out of the pure kindness of her heart.

How did they repay her kindness? First, by framing her sister for apparently attacking Mercury Black unprovoked. Second, by setting up Pyrrha to kill Penny by ripping her to pieces. Third, by slashing out Robin's eyes, robbing him of his sight and his Semblance. Finally, by nearly killing Pyrrha and destroying so many lives that night, along with Adam Taurus and Nachtfel.

"Ruby?" Jaune asked as he cautiously reached his hand to touch her shoulder.

"How could they do this?" she asked. "How can they destroy so many lives and not care about the damage they cause? How could this happen?"

"They fooled all of us," the Arc reminded her. "You can't put that on yourself."

"That's not why I blame myself," the reaper responded. "If I had been faster, if I had stopped the match, then Penny would still be alive." More tears started to run down her cheeks as she remembered another memory.

" _Yang!" Ruby cheered as she hugged her. "I'm so glad you're okay!"_

" _I'm not," Yang responded. Ruby pulled away to see Yang's arm bandaged._

" _What happened?" the scythe user asked. "Where's Weiss and Blake?" Yang tensed up a little after hearing Blake's name._

" _Weiss's father came to Vale and forced her back to Atlas," she answered._

" _Forced her?" Ruby asked._

" _It's a mess, Ruby," the blonde brawler answered. "Everyone saw footage of Atlesian Knights and Paladins attacking Beacon and innocent civilians. Everyone's blaming Ironwood and Atlas for what happened that night. No one knows who to trust anymore."_

" _And Blake?" Ruby insisted on knowing. "Where did she go?"_

" _I don't know," Yang replied. Her expression changed from sadness to anger as she said "And I don't care."_

" _Yang, there has to be a reason why-"_

" _No, there doesn't!" Yang snapped. "Bad things just happen sometimes! This is one of them!" Ruby reached her hand out to touch Yang's shoulder._

" _Yang, I know you're mad, but please, just calm down-"_

" _Do not tell me to calm down!" Yang barked, slapping Ruby's hand away. "Don't you get it, Ruby!? Our teammates are gone! Blake has abandoned us and Weiss's father will never let her leave Atlas! Team RWBY…is dead."_

 _Ruby was shocked at Yang's behavior. She knew that the loss of her arm would definitely take a toll on her, but to see her so broken and willing to give into despair made Ruby feel like she was talking to a complete stranger._

" _Yang, you can't possibly think that," the scythe user asked._

" _I don't think it, Ruby, I know," her sister responded. "Grow up and accept it."_

" _Yang-"_

" _Just go," Yang interrupted, not wanting to talk to Ruby anymore. "You can do whatever you want; I don't care. Just get out."_

 _Ruby's face said it all; shock and sadness. She had come here to try and help Yang and all she was doing was taking her anger out on her as if she was the one responsible for her condition. Yang looked over at Ruby; seeing that she was still here, she angrily gripped the sheets and her eyes turned red._

" _Wake up, Ruby!" she shouted. "The world isn't black and white! This isn't a fairy tale where we all get our happy ending and dance into the sunset! This is reality! Stop being so naive and grow up; there is no more Team RWBY!"_

 _Ruby finally walked out of Yang's room and closed the door behind her. She only walked a few steps before leaning against the wall and breaking into tears._

"I just wanted to help her," the reaper told Jaune. "She didn't…she didn't have to do that to me!"

"She's just angry right now," Jaune tried to assure her. "She needs time before she realizes that what she did was wrong."

"I…I honestly don't know," Ruby responded solemnly. "I've never seen Yang like that before. To see her like that…it breaks my heart." More tears caused by the pain started to swell in Ruby's eyes, prompting Jaune to reach over and hug her tightly as she cried into his shoulder.

As she did, Jaune thought about his own issues; Pyrrha wasn't with them. She had been the one to train him, the first to have faith in him as a Huntsman, even after learning about his fake transcripts, and the one who helped him have a chance with Weiss.

She wasn't with them; her injuries prevented her from doing so. He felt lost without her, not having her to guide and train him back in the days at Beacon. He wished she could've come with them, but he had to understand that she couldn't; at least, not yet.

These past months had taught him that she wouldn't always be there to be of aid to him. She wouldn't always be able to get his mind back on track nor help him get back on his feet if he lost faith in himself.

The two of them sat in the branch, hugging as they remembered the pains they were having to endure.

-0-

Nasser lit a cigarette after yet another battle with Grimm, losing two professional Huntsmen and four students. Goodwitch had tried to press them on, but they refused and took the time to rest from the seemingly endless fighting.

"You okay, Nasser?" Octavia asked her boyfriend as she sat next to him.

"No," he replied bluntly. "And honestly, no one here is. Goodwitch is just not listening; we're not machines. We can't fight forever without needing to rest and eat."

"You're not the only one," Octavia replied. "We thought staying here instead of going back to Shade would be helpful, but…"

"You're regretting your decision?" Goodwitch asked as she approached them.

"We've been fighting for months," Octavia replied. "You're working us like mules. We need time to rest and eat."

"Perhaps you don't understand," Goodwitch stated in an unusually hostile manner. "We have a mission to accomplish, so stop whining and do your job."

"Back off," Nasser threatened as he stood up; despite him being 5'9 and her being 6'5, making her look rather intimidating, he refused to back down.

"We've been fighting for you all these months and you're not cutting us any slack! We deserve to rest, so back off and leave us alone!" Goodwitch stood there, shocked at what she just heard. It was very rare for anyone to yell at her because of how strict and no-nonsense she was.

What happened next shocked everyone.

One moment, Nasser was standing up to Goodwitch; the next, his face was turned towards the ground, feeling a painful sting on his cheek. He looked up to see Goodwitch's riding crop in her hand and an angered expression on her face.

"You will know your place, Mr. Achdarr!" she warned. "I better not have to remind you again!"

"That was out of line!" Coco protested as she walked up to Goodwitch. "He's right! You've been making us fight for so long and we've barely had any time to rest. You can't keep doing this to us!"

"I will do what I must, Ms. Adel," Goodwitch stated. "We must retake Beacon; Ms. Scarlatina would agree with me." Coco activated her minigun and pointed it right at Goodwitch's stomach, prepared to blow her to hell.

"Don't you dare mention Velvet," she warned as if her voice belonged to one of a demon. "If you ever-"

"Coco," Yatsu calmed, putting his hand on her shoulder. Coco didn't even look at her teammate for several moments before deactivating her weapon and going to sit down.

" _Leave me alone," Velvet pleaded on her first day at Beacon, feeling her ears being tugged by a bully._

" _Shut up, Faunus bitch," the bully responded sadistically. Velvet finally pushed his arms and tried to walk off, but the bully wouldn't have it. He angrily grabbed Velvet's bunny ear and threw her into the mud._

" _Stay down in the mud, where you belong," he growled. Velvet was about to get up, but was stopped when she felt a rock hit her face._

" _I said stay down," the bully growled._

" _Hey!" Coco shouted as she approached the scene. The bully's scowl changed from angry to flirtatious in a single instant._

" _Hey, hot stuff," he greeted. "Damn, you've got a killer body."_

" _And you've got a crap attitude," she shot back. She walked over to help Velvet out of the mud, wiping most of it off._

" _What are you doing?" the bully questioned. "Don't help her; she's a freak."_

" _And you're an asshole," Coco responded._

" _What did you call me?" the bully asked in a threatening tone as he approached her._

" _You heard me," Coco clarified. "You're an asshole."_

 _She felt a sting on her cheek and her glasses thrown into the mud. She had just been slapped._

" _You shouldn't have done that," Coco replied. She grabbed her bag and…smashed his manhood. As he groaned and wheezed in pain, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threw him into the mud just as two birds flew above him and pooped._

" _Thanks," Velvet said to Coco._

" _Sure thing," she replied. "No one deserves to be treated like that, human or Faunus."_

" _What about him?" the bunny Faunus asked. Coco waved her hand._

" _He'll be fine," she assured. "Name's Coco. Coco Adel."_

" _Velvet Scarlatina," she replied shyly._

 _The two of them went on to become good friends, especially after they were put on the same team. The bully was eventually expelled when he and his teammates tried to brutalize them after Coco publicly turned down his advances, humiliating him, which he didn't like at all._

Coco's mind went back to that day, the day she met Velvet, her dearest friend. Despite their opposing personalities, they got along very well and always had each other's backs; Velvet had Coco's whenever she was hit on by some sleaze ball and Coco had Velvet's whenever she was bullied for her Faunus heritage.

Now she was gone, killed trying to defend the other students during the Fall of Beacon. She was her best friend out of everyone in Beacon…and she was still trying to come to terms with her passing. Her mind went back to months before.

" _Today, we bury those who fell defending Beacon Academy," a priest stated. Many of the Beacon students and faculty were gathered in the seats in front of the memorial where the pictures of those lost were hung for everyone to see. Coco saw Velvet's picture in the middle, next to Medeia Iris._

" _That night, we lost many friends and family," he went on. "We pray that their souls find peace and they may rest undisturbed."_

 _As Velvet's casket was placed in her grave, Coco saw Velvet's parents weeping for the loss of their daughter. Coco wanted to walk over and comfort them, but she couldn't find the courage to do so. All she could do was place the flowers she had brought on her friend's grave._

" _Goodbye, Velvet," Coco said, fighting the urge to break down. "You were the best friend I ever had."_

"Coco?" Fox asked, snapping her back to reality. "What happened with Goodwitch earlier?"

"She had no right to mention Velvet," the fashionista replied. "No right at all." She felt Fox put his hand on her shoulder.

"We all miss her," he informed solemnly. "The truth is simple; she's gone. She's not coming back."

"I know," Coco replied rather harshly. "I…" She breathed heavily before looking down in anguish. "I wish I could've saved her."

"But the truth is, we didn't," Fox replied. "Instead, we'll have to live for her…because that's what she would want from us."

He was right. Velvet would want them to keep on living to become professional Huntsmen, just as Coco would want the same if she had been the one to fall that night.

-0-

Safirlas sat on her bed, constantly looking between her laptop…and Himmelkanten. Ever since the Fall of Beacon, she hadn't come close to picking it up. She couldn't, not without remembering the times she had with her teammates.

Medeia Iris, Rong Luse and Imamu Nyekundu were her closest friends from the years she spent at Haven Academy in Mistral. She looked forward to the time they'd spend together as official Huntsmen and Huntresses once they graduated.

Because of the Fall of Beacon, that dream was gone, nothing more than burned ashes. Nachtfel, the same monster who had nearly killed her brother, succeeded in brutally killing each of her teammates one by one. She would've lost her life as well if Glaucus hadn't arrived and fended Nachtfel off.

She was angry at herself. She was angry for wanting to blame Mathdon for the deaths of her teammates, so why did she?

"He was the one who insisted on that rescue mission," she thought. "If we had just stayed with everyone else…" She immediately cut off that thought.

"No, it's not his fault," she firmly stated. "We knew what we signed up for. We knew and..."

" _Imamu, how many times do I have to tell you?" Rong scolded. "Stop flirting with all the beautiful young women here."_

" _Aww, that's mean," Imamu replied, faking offense._

" _That last girl had a boyfriend," Safirlas spoke. "Do you really have no shame?"_

" _Stop being so high-strung," Imamu responded. "I didn't know she had a boyfriend." Safirlas groaned in frustration before turning to Medeia, who was looking out the open window with a pair of binoculars._

" _Medeia…what are you doing?" Safirlas asked bluntly._

" _Oh, looking at the men's changing room," Medeia replied. "The boys' fighting class has just finished. I can see the showers from here."_

" _You're spying on them?" the spear wielder scolded._

" _What?" Medeia asked with a coy expression. "What's wrong with wanting to see hot boys?"_

" _Then look at me," Imamu offered, flexing his muscles._

" _Pfft, you wish you were hot," Medeia dismissed. "Oooh, here they come~"_

" _Medeia," Safirlas groaned._

" _Take a look," the leader of IRIS insisted as she shoved the binoculars into Safirlas's hands. Reluctantly and against all her better judgment, Safirlas used the binoculars._

" _Hey, that's Bolin Hori," Saf caught. "Whoo! He's got muscles! Medeia, you're terrible."_

" _Excuse me, Mrs. Self-righteous, but you're the one looking," Imamu reminded her._

" _Let me look," Medeia demanded as she took the binoculars back. "Oooh, so many abs. So many well-built male bodies."_

" _Hello?" Imamu called out. "Hot guy over here!"_

" _Where?" Medeia asked. "Unless you're being a friend and referring to Rong, I don't see a hot guy anywhere." Imamu groaned in frustration._

" _Someone's coming in," Medeia alerted as she shared the binoculars with Safirlas. The two waited in anticipation as the door opened…to show someone who did not have a well-built male body._

" _Professor Fern!?" they screamed in agony as they dropped the binoculars and closed the curtains._

" _I'm blind!" Medeia cried in agony._

" _We should've stopped!" Safirlas insisted. "Great, I can never get that out of my head now!" Rong and Imamu laughed at their misery from seeing a not well-built male body._

" _Shut up, you twits!" Medeia demanded._

Safirlas laughed from the memory that ended in her being unable to shake that image out of her head whenever she saw that professor at Haven. That laughter quickly died when the reality of the situation sunk back in; she would never be able to share those memories again.

"Saf?" a voice asked, belonging to Corcra as she slowly opened the door.

"Hey, mom," she replied. Corcra entered the room and looked over at Himmelkanten, immediately noticing that it hadn't been touched due to the large amount of dust gathered around it.

"You haven't touched it at all?" she asked her daughter.

"I just can't," Safirlas replied. Corcra grabbed a chair and sat next to her daughter's bed.

"You can," she assured. "I've already suggested you go to counseling. Math's willing to do it, so why are you so against it?"

"Because I don't want to," Saf answered bluntly.

"Safirlas, you can't spend more time like this," Corcra told her. "I know you miss them, but this is getting ridiculous. You're barely doing anything around the house, you're not looking for ways to get past this-"

"Shut up!" Safirlas shouted, turning to her mother in anger. Corcra's gentle expression immediately switched to one of stern discipline.

"Watch your tone, young lady," she responded, not tolerating that from her. "This has gone on far enough. You need to move on and let go of the past. I'm offering you a good solution to that problem; instead of being open to it, you just keep turning it down and for what?"

"Because I don't want to," Saf repeated.

"No, that's not it," Corcra denied. "You're scared, scared to return to the world without your friends."

"Who wouldn't be?" the spear user barked. "They were my friends. Medeia, Rong and Imamu…they're gone, all of them. They're gone because of those monsters!"

"I miss them too, Safirlas," the guandao user told her. "But you're using this as a crutch not to return. You could've gone back to Haven and continued your training. Do you really think your friends would just want you to sit here and do nothing?"

"You barely knew them!" Saf barked.

"I said, watch your tone!" Corcra silenced her. "I came here to offer you comfort. But if you're so determined to not do anything, then I'm not giving you a choice anymore." Saf raised an eyebrow, confused by what her mother meant.

"You're going to counseling, whether you like it or not." Saf's eyes widened in anger.

"I told you-"

"And I'm telling you, I'm done watching you mope around, feeling sorry for yourself," Corcra interrupted. "I've lost friends during my years as a Huntress, friends I'd known for years. I cried, I mourned, I needed time…but I bounced back. Do you know why?" Safirlas didn't answer.

"Because for two reasons," Corcra stated. "First, because I knew they'd want me to keep going and not give up. They'd want me not to lose everything because I couldn't move past my pain. Second…because you and Math needed me. I needed to be there for you because Donovan wasn't."

"You don't understand!" Saf claimed.

"No, you don't understand!" Corcra refused to hear. "Your teammates knew what they were signing up for. They knew it and they accepted it. I will not let you sit around here any longer, doing nothing. You're going to counseling and, this time, you're not saying no anymore. You're going, even if I have to drag you there." Corcra stepped out of her chair and left her daughter's room.

Safirlas didn't want to return to the world of the Huntsmen, not without her friends. Ever since that night, she wanted to wake up and believe it was all just a horrible nightmare, but it wasn't.

They were gone. They were no longer there to help her as her friends and teammates. She had to accept it, no matter how painful it was.

"Why did this happen?" Safirlas wept. "Why couldn't they still be here?" They left too soon. That was the most obvious fact to her.


	5. Gifts from Atlas

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 5: Gifts from Atlas**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Math reached for the glass with his right arm and picked it up. Almost immediately, his arm shook uncontrollably, causing him to lose his grip and drop the glass onto the floor.

As he looked at the shattered glass, he felt his frustration boil before he gave out a growl that turned into a yell. He walked over to the pantry to get the broom and dustpan to clean up his mess. As he swept with his left hand, his right shook again as he held the dustpan and dropped it too.

"Math?" Pyrrha asked, approaching him. He dropped the dustpan and broom and leaned on the counter.

"Why isn't it getting any better?" he questioned. "It's been months."

"The nerves were too badly damaged," Pyrrha reminded him. "Math…your arm can't be fixed."

"Then all the training I did to be a Huntsmen was for nothing!?" he snarled. "I can't do anything with my right hand. I can't hold a sword, I can't punch anything…" He buried his face in his hands as he felt Pyrrha's on his back.

Math wanted to shout and scream right now in anger for his arm not showing any improvement of any kind, but he didn't want to do it to Pyrrha. He knew that she was struggling just as much as she was; both their injuries were preventing them from continuing their training as warriors.

"Have you heard anything from your teammates or family?" Math asked his girlfriend.

"I got a letter from my mother in Argus," Pyrrha informed. "She's hoping I can come home soon." Her smile dissolved as she thought about her teammates, who had left with Ruby to go to Haven.

She hadn't received anything from them ever since they had left. No letters, nothing. She was completely unaware of how they were doing on their way to Haven. Ren and Nora, she wasn't truly worried about; Jaune, on the other hand, was someone she had plenty of reason to be worried about.

He had entered Beacon under fake transcripts, which he had later revealed to Pyrrha was the reason why he had been hanging with Cardin. She wanted to confront him, but Jaune convinced her otherwise. Even though he had shown obvious improvement, he was still lacking in his combat skills, which is why before he left, she made a training video for him.

"I haven't heard anything from them," Pyrrha answered solemnly. "I just hope they're okay, especially since they're going after Cinder."

That name made Math's blood boil, the name of the one who nearly killed the woman he loved. Pyrrha had gone up Beacon Tower in the hopes of stalling her until reinforcements could arrive to help. From what he had been told, she had even made remarks about him during their duel; whether it was sincere or just to anger Pyrrha was uncertain, but Math believed it was the latter.

"How are…your nightmares?" the swordsman asked her as he pulled a glass out of the cupboard.

"They're…becoming a bit more constant," the redhead answered as she put her hand on the area where she had been shot. "I feel like I relive everything; Penny's death, Amber's death, Ozpin blaming me for this-"

"Don't," the swordsman silenced. "If you think that what happened is any way your fault, then stop thinking that. This falls on two people alone: Ozpin and Cinder. He had no right to force the powers on you and Cinder manipulated everything."

"It just worries me what could happen now that she has the Fall Maiden's powers," Pyrrha admitted. "There's no telling of what she can do."

"She's certainly done enough damage already," Math commented as he poured himself a cup of water. "Everyone thinks Atlas is responsible for what happened to Beacon. None of the Four Kingdoms trust each other and the recent Dust Embargo hasn't been helping."

"That's not all," Pyrrha added. "From what I've heard, they're going to be closing Atlas's borders."

"Are you serious?" Math asked as he drank his cup.

"I saw it on VNN yesterday," the Amazon informed. "The Atlas Council is claiming that it's only a temporary measure until things settle down."

"I don't think anyone will settle down with the Dust Embargo and closing of borders," the swordsman replied. "If anything, it's telling the world that Atlas is responsible for the Fall of Beacon. I'm honestly surprised that Ironwood wasn't stripped of his rank."

"Ironwood is the Headmaster of Atlas Academy, a General in the Atlas Military and holds two seats on the Council," Pyrrha replied. "He's practically one of the most powerful men in Atlas; he has a lot of ways to keep his rank." Pyrrha suddenly felt something soft and furry rub against her leg, prompting her to look down and see Siocled.

"Hey, girl," she spoke sweetly as she pet her head.

"Do you have any pets?" Math asked Pyrrha as she knelt down to rub Siocled's ears.

"We actually have a dog back home," she answered. "A Golden Retriever."

"Aren't those the most expensive dogs ever?" the swordsman asked.

"They are, but we didn't buy him," Pyrrha answered. "I found him when I was 12 on our doorstep and asked my parents if we could keep him. We named him Chrysos and we've kept him ever since."

The door to the house was heard opening, causing Siocled to rush over and greet Corcra excitedly, but she couldn't pet her at the moment since she was carrying two boxes. Pyrrha quickly hurried over and helped take one of the boxes, sensing it'd probably be hard on Math's arm.

"What are those?" the swordsman asked.

"General Ironwood had them sent here," Corcra explained. "Come look." Math walked into the living room as the two boxes were placed on the table. One of them was addressed to him while the other was to Pyrrha. He opened his to see something that appeared to be a leather arm brace with metal encasing the area on the upper arm and ending with a black, fingerless glove.

Pyrrha opened hers to reveal an ankle brace that had the near same appearance as Math's, looking as to cover up the area where she had been shot. It was leather for the most part, but with a metal casing near the heel.

"What is this?" the swordsman asked as he examined the object.

"It's a specialized arm brace made by the Atlesians," Corcra explained. "General Ironwood heard about how you led the rescue mission at Beacon and how your arm was damaged, so he had his top scientists make these for you."

"These?" Math asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I got one too," Pyrrha informed as she held it up.

"He wanted me to let you both know that you two fought bravely that night," Corcra added. "I think…now's the time."

"What do you mean?" Math asked.

"I mean, with these, you two can continue your training," she explained. "There are many people out there who want you both back on the field…and so do I. I don't mean right away, but…when you can."

"That may be a while for me," the redhead solemnly admitted. "I'm still struggling…with my nightmares." Math walked over and gently wrapped his arm around Pyrrha.

"Luckily, I've found a counselor who'd be willing to help you," Corcra informed. "I've already set up an appointment with Saf. I could go ahead and schedule one for you two when you want."

"Saf agreed to go to counseling?" Math asked.

"No, I'm making her," Corcra bluntly answered. "I'm done with watching her just sit around, take her anger out on us and then blame you for that night. She needs to get over herself and I've given her many chances to do that; if she won't do it, then I will."

Math took out the instruction manual and started on putting the brace on his arm. Getting it past the metal part was easy, which indeed go up to his shoulder and covered his upper arm. Once had it on, he checked the instructions again, the next one reading "Press Blue Button on wrist. Warning: This may cause discomfort or pain."

"Let's do it," Math stated as he pressed the blue holographic button. As soon as he did, he felt immense pain in his upper arm, causing him to grip it tightly. The metal encasing tightened around his upper arm, but stopped at the point where it felt like armor.

He moved his arm around, getting the feel for the brace; thanks to the leather, it felt very comfortable and didn't weigh down on him at all. He gripped his hand several times, wondering if it truly could help him.

"Math?" Corcra asked. The swordsman walked over to pick up a glass with his right hand. He hesitated for a moment, having become accustomed to seeing his right hand fail at grabbing the simplest of things due to his encounter with Nachtfel. Even with the new arm brace, he was still reluctant to do it.

He felt assurance when Pyrrha put her hand on his shoulder and gestured for him to do it. He breathed heavily before grabbing the glass and raising it off the table.

One second passed, nothing happened.

Five seconds, still nothing.

Ten seconds, Math's arm didn't shake at all.

The swordsman almost wanted to cry at this; for nearly seven months now, he had been unable to use his prominent hand for anything, which left him unable to continue his training as a Huntsman. The feeling of being able to hold something with his hand without it shaking uncontrollably gave Math such relief.

"It works…" Math whispered. By surprise, he wrapped his arms around Pyrrha and spun her around, happily cheering.

"It works!" he cheered once more. "I have my arm back!" He cheered happily for the first time in what felt like forever.

All the troubles and pain he had endured for these months were nonexistent in that moment. Thanks to the Atlesian arm brace, he had gained so much back besides his arm: his ability to wield a weapon again, the potential to continue his training…the list was endless in his mind.

"Math, perhaps if you could Pyrrha down, she could try on her own brace," Corcra gently reminded her son, trying not to break his happiness. Math blushed when he realized how long he had been holding Pyrrha and gently put her down.

"Sorry," he apologized. The redhead simply smiled before walking over and putting on her ankle brace. The instructions were the same for her: as she pressed the holographic button, she felt immense pain in her heel, causing her to grab it on impulse. It lasted for a few seconds before the pain went away and she stood up to try it out.

She walked outside and flipped, jumped and moved around; there was no pain from her heel, nothing. She didn't limp, she didn't stagger, she didn't fall at any time during her movements. It was if he was looking at Pyrrha back at her days in Beacon.

She stopped for a moment and then dropped to her knees, prompting Math to rush over to her and see how she was. She looked up at him, tears of joy running down her cheeks before pulling him into an embrace, which he immediately returned. The two just kneeled there, happily hugging each other…until they were interrupted by Siocled, who started licking Math's face and breaking them apart from each other.

"Siocled!" he chuckled. "Down, girl!"

Unknown to them, Saf watched from her room window to see Math, Pyrrha, and her mom happy. She wanted to join in, but felt like she couldn't, which is why she hated the sight of it. She closed the curtains and looked over at her weapon, still just sitting there.

-0-

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Sienna growled in anger towards Adam, who calmly kneeled before her while she sat on her throne. "The destruction of Beacon has made us targeted by the humans much more than ever before! Do you truly not see the consequences of your actions?"

"I do," Adam admitted. "Unfortunately, the people who asked me for help aren't the kind to take no for an answer. When I first turned them, they returned to slaughter my men unless I agreed."

"And who are these people who won't take no for an answer?" Sienna questioned.

"I don't know who their master is, but one of them is on their way, asking for an audience with you," Adam informed.

"A human is coming to this location?!" Sienna barked, rising from her throne. "You gave them the location of our HQ? This is grounds for treason!"

"They don't seek a fight, High Leader, only cooperation," Adam replied.

"Cooperation…or slavery?" Sienna asked. "The White Fang is not an organization for hire. We are the ones fighting to gain the respect we deserve. I will not have our ideals destroyed just so we can work with humans; it goes against everything we stand for."

"High Leader Khan, I must advise you to at least hear him out," the Bull Faunus answered. Sienna calmed down before sitting back on her throne.

"Do you truly believe in cooperating with these humans?" the High Leader asked.

"No," Adam replied. "I had no intention of letting our people die for their cause, but if I refused a second time, they would've wiped out the entire Vale brotherhood. I agreed only to secure their safety."

"And what about the White Fang as a whole?" Sienna questioned. "Your actions have justified humanity's hatred for us."

"With respect, High Leader, humanity always had hatred for us…just because we're different," Adam spoke.

Sienna was quiet for a moment, contemplating what Adam said as he had a very valid point. Even if the White Fang had never been founded, humanity would still hate their people because they were Faunus and not humans, because they are different.

"That's why I do what I do," Adam answered. "Our last leader made the mistake of thinking we could earn respect by keeping our hands clean of violence. If we're ever to earn the respect and equality we deserve, we must be willing to dirty our hands."

"While I can agree with you on the latter, you are wrong to disrespect Ghira Belladonna," Sienna stated. "He was a lot of things, but he wasn't a coward; if he was, then he never would've started the White Fang."

Adam wanted to argue differently. He had served under Ghira during his leadership and, while he was definitely noble, he did think of him as a coward. Whenever they were attacked, Ghira tried to handle things 'peacefully', despite the fact that the humans obviously wouldn't listen.

" _Please, we're just trying to pass through!" Ghira pleaded as he hid behind the trucks he and his companions were travelling with. The window stopped a bullet from hitting him._

" _Well, you animals passed through the wrong town!" one of the gunners shouted._

" _Ghira, they won't listen!" Sienna shouted. "We have to fight back!"_

" _And give them justification to kill us?" the High Leader questioned. "All that will do is convince them-" One of the White Fang members were shot in the shoulder, who then fell onto the ground and groaned in pain._

" _Bandage his wound!" Adam commanded. "Hurry, before he bleeds to death!" Sienna looked up defiantly at Ghira, who still wouldn't allow them to fight back._

" _They will kill us if we don't defend ourselves!" the Tiger Faunus pointed out._

" _I said stand down!" Ghira commanded. When he sensed a pause in the enemy's firing, he rose out of hiding with his hands up._

" _There's no need for violence!" he pleaded. "Please-" A bullet hit him, causing his Aura to shimmer._

" _High Leader!" Adam called out._

" _I'll take care of him," Sienna assured. "Go take them out." Adam nodded his head, prepared his weapon and leapt out to defend his people._

"Adam?" Sienna addressed. "Are you listening?"

"I'm sorry, High Leader," he apologized.

"Listen well, for I will not say it again; the White Fang will not attack Haven Academy," she declared. "Now leave." Adam bowed his head and left the room. As he did, he could feel the presence of a Grimm nearby, alerting him to their presence. It looked different from any other he had seen, appearing almost like a jelly fish with a red mist inside its glass head.

" _Hello, Adam,"_ Salem greeted, not showing her face. _"How did the meeting with Sienna Khan go?"_

"She's very skeptical," Adam replied. "She won't attack Haven Academy."

" _Then I hope you and Hazel are able to convince her otherwise,"_ the Grimm Queen responded. _"May I remind you that you have loyalty to me?"_

"My loyalty is to the Faunus," Adam rebuked. "I do this solely for them."

" _Then you'd be wise to do as I say,"_ Salem said in a very calm but threatening tone. _"Because if Sienna remains unwilling to cooperate, she dies."_ The mask Adam was wearing hid his widened eyes as he turned around to look at the Grimm.

"Sienna Khan is our High Leader," he replied. "You cannot kill her." He unsheathed his sword to repel one of he Grimm's tentacles aimed for his neck, but didn't see it come around and wrap around his arm before another wrapped around his neck and forced him to his knees.

" _You agreed to help us,"_ Salem spoke calmly. _"I can give your people the equality and respect you deserve. I won't forget all that you've done, but do not ever forget what I can do to you."_ She moved one of the tentacles with a spike to aim right for his mask, pressing on it hard enough to crack it.

" _You will do as I say or you and your people will pay the price,"_ she warned. _"Convince Sienna Khan to aid us in our assault on Haven…or I will have Hazel kill her. Just because he's calm doesn't mean he's not dangerous. Am I understood?"_ Adam reluctantly and begrudgingly nodded his head, prompting Salem to free him from their grasp.

As Adam coughed and gagged, he noticed that the Grimm had vanished. He collected his weapon and sheathed it.

He didn't want to do this to Sienna, but if Hazel's master intended to go through with her threat, then Sienna would undoubtedly be killed. He had only seen Hazel once and he saw how powerful he was in combat, High Leader Khan wouldn't stand a chance against him.

He hated this. He knew he had done morally wrong things, but he did it for the Faunus because of the prejudice and hatred they were forced to endure. Every day, his people were treated like slaves; they were beaten, murdered and tortured every day and humanity all turned a blind eye to it.

Now he was the forced pawn of Hazel and Cinder's master. He had no choice but to do as they said or he'd risk them coming back to wipe out everyone in the White Fang; they nearly did that to the Vale brotherhood simply because he told them 'no'.

"I'm not doing this for them," Adam stated. "I do this for the Faunus."

" _You're a monster, Adam!" Blake shouted to him after he sliced off Yang's arm._

"Yes, I am," Adam admitted. "But someone has to be."

-0-

Robin sat in his room, holding Sharp Shot on his lap, wondering if he'd ever be able to use it efficiently again. He slid his hand along his weapon, remembering the times he had used it to great effect.

Because of his archery and Semblance, he was impossible to outsmart or land a hit on. That had been something he was very proud of for years and how he hoped to live his life.

"Robin!" Anrydd called from downstairs. "Come on down! There's something I want to show you!" Robin put his bow down and grabbed his cane, carefully walking out of his room and then down the stairs. Once there, he felt someone guide him to the dinner table, where he heard a box being opened. He heard a few clicks and technical noises, making him wonder what was going on.

"Robin, I hope you're ready," Anrydd spoke.

"Ready for what?" the archer asked.

"First, take off your bandages," his father instructed.

"What?" Robin gasped. "Why?"

"Trust me; you'll love this," Anrydd assured. Robin exhaled before he took his bandages off his eyes, showing them now cleaned of blood. He heard his father step closer and closer to him until he felt something metallic with a comfortable leather feeling resting on the area around his eyes.

"Open them."

"What?" Robin asked, since he hadn't opened his eyes ever since he had lost them at Emerald's hands.

"Do it," Dearg insisted. Robin exhaled once more before reluctantly doing so. What he saw amazed him; he could see everything.

He rushed over to the mirror to see a prosthetic visor over his eyes with two pure white lenses on each one. The prosthetic reached to rest on his ears, almost looking like shades. On the right side was a dial with different colors, though he didn't know what it was for.

Robin was in utter shock to be able to see again. He looked over at his family members, who were smiling at him. He began to tear up before he fell to his knees and started to feel tears run down his cheeks. To be able to see again, even without his Semblance, was enough to make him have a moment of joy from the months he had spent blind.

He felt his family raise him to his feet, where he quickly embraced the person closest to him, which was Dearg. His parents soon joined in to help calm their son. When Robin had stopped crying, he looked at his hands, the house, his family and everything.

"How…?" he asked, but couldn't finish.

"General Ironwood knew that you and Ruo tried to apprehend those responsible for the Fall of Beacon," Anrydd answered his son's unfinished question. "When I told him about your eyes…I didn't have to call any favors. He did this solely because he respects what you did."

"General Ironwood sent these?" he asked.

"He also sent something to Math to help with his arm," Gwyn informed. Robin went back to the mirror to examine the dial on his new eyes.

"What's this dial for?" he asked.

"The instructions are right here," Anrydd pointed our as he handed a small list to his son. It read:

 **White- Normal**

 **Red- Thermal**

 **Blue- Zoom**

 **Green- X-Ray**

 **Yellow- Trajectory Prediction**

 **Black- Night Vision**

"General Ironwood made these…for me?" Robin asked.

"He did," Anrydd responded. "You and Math have too much potential to simply let it go to waste. So…are you willing to continue your training as a Huntsman?"

Robin looked at the mirror one more time to examine his appearance; his hair was unkempt and wild and stubble was already growing on his face. It shouldn't surprise him, considering how he hadn't been taking care of himself ever since he was blinded. His appearance was so different that he barely recognized himself.

Now he had the chance to become a Huntsman once more. This time, he'd have the full support of his parents and brother, which was enough to give him hope.

"When do we start?" Robin asked. Anrydd smiled.

"As soon as you're ready," he replied.

"Good," the archer spoke. "Because I need a haircut."

 **Author's Notes: For those of you confused by the scene between Adam Taurus and Sienna Khan, I'm going to characterize Adam differently in my MRRN series. I hope you continue enjoying this series and leave a review if you have constructive criticism to share. Keep writing, my fellow writers!**


	6. Broken and Reforged

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 6: Broken and Reforged**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Cinder sat at the table with Salem as she felt pain in her left arm. Mercury and Emerald were made to stay at the entrance, forbidden by the Grimm Queen to intervene for any reason. The Fall Maiden breathed and groaned in pain as something was happening to her.

"Don't fight it," Salem insisted. "It can sense your trepidation. You must make IT dread YOU." Finally, Cinder let out a gasp of relief as the pain stopped.

Clicking noises were suddenly heard from beyond the room; inside floated the same Grimm that had she had used to contact Adam Taurus earlier. Emerald and Mercury backed up in horror and away from the evil thing as much as they could. It went up to Salem's side, where it stopped. The Grimm Queen then placed her head on her hands.

"I will ask you one last time…and I want a clear answer," Salem spoke. She looked sternly at Cinder before asking "Did you kill Ozma?" Cinder waved her hand, gesturing for Emerald to walk over.

"Don't you dare!" Salem roared, slamming her hands on the table. Emerald stopped dead in her tracks and walked back to stand beside Mercury.

"You won't get any better if you constantly rely on her to be your voice," Salem stated. "I want to hear it from you, not her." Cinder gasped and breathed heavily before saying in a very raspy tone "Yes." Content with her answer, Salem turned her attention to the Seer Grimm.

"Reinforce our numbers at Beacon," she ordered. "Goodwitch must not take back the Academy." The Seer Grimm floated away and out of the room.

"Why…?" Cinder asked, grabbing Salem's attention.

"Why?" she asked, curious by what she meant. Cinder's submissive expression changed to one of anger as she thought about the girl whose power had maimed her body.

"Why…keep her…alive?" she got out between raspy breaths. Salem sat up straight, her hands on her lap.

"Because I have a use for her," she answered.

"If I may," Emerald spoke cautiously, careful not to earn Salem's ire. The Grimm Queen calmly turned towards Cinder's disciple.

"What is it?" she asked calmly.

"You said the Silver Eyes were the most dangerous weapon against you," she brought up. "If that's true, then shouldn't we want her dead?" Salem smiled at Emerald's attempt for Salem to see things her way. When she turned back to look at the leader of their faction, her evil smile immediately dropped as she could tell Salem was unconvinced.

"We have hunted them in the past," the Grimm Queen acknowledged. "But you do not possess the knowledge I have. I believe Ruby has a use." She then looked back at Cinder.

"So if you see her when you're healed, you will not kill her," she demanded. "I want her alive; no excuses or exceptions." Cinder breathed heavily before she tried to speak, but fell silent as Salem's red eyes started to glow faintly.

"You will not jeopardize my goal for the sake of your revenge," she warned. "Am I understood?"

Cinder looked away with immense disappointment in her eyes. She wanted Ruby dead for so long for what she did the night Beacon Tower fell. Not just her, Pyrrha Nikos as well, but Salem wouldn't turn her attention to the redhead since she wasn't in the way of their assault on Haven. All in all, the Fall Maiden was being denied her revenge.

Suddenly, she felt a piercing pain in her arm as if it was trying to eat her flesh. She groaned and gasped in pain as she looked to the Grimm Queen, who was doing the same thing from before.

"You will receive this warning only ONCE," she warned. "You will not kill Ruby Rose."

After their session, Cinder walked back to her room, not allowing Emerald or Mercury inside as she didn't want them to continue seeing her in such a weakened state.

She looked at the body mirror to look at herself. She became so appalled by her appearance that she looked away until she forced herself to look again. Instead of seeing herself in her current state, she saw herself in her beautiful, seductive appearance.

The girl she was before was beautiful, flawless, enticing, and seductive. Her off-the-shoulder dress, her black heels, her choker, her black, diamond-shaped earrings, her perfectly red nails…she was a picture of female perfection.

During her time at Beacon, many young men had sought her for her beauty. She enjoyed their compliments, always relishing in the thoughts of being beautiful and irresistible. However, none of them were ever worthy of her; she was simply too beautiful for anyone.

That look was gone. Her long, soft hair was now crudely cut short. Her left eye was scarred and covered with a patch. Instead of the beautiful lady she craved being, she looked like a disgraced wretch.

" _You were always such so weak,"_ a female voice mocked. Cinder looked around, but no one was in the room other than her. Who said that?

" _You never could amount to anything,"_ the voice said again. The Fall Maiden looked back up at the mirror to see an older woman with graying brown hair, green eyes and a snobbish look on her face. Cinder glared in anger as she looked at the woman.

" _You really think you could count to anything?"_ the woman asked with a condescending smirk. _"Only two people could have ever truly believed in you…and they're dead."_ Cinder summoned a fire ball in her hand, enlarging by the second.

" _Why should anyone ever love you?"_ the woman taunted. _"You'll never know what love is nor strength. You'll always be the same worthless young girl that I found after your father died…or did he kill himself just so he didn't have to deal with you?"_

Cinder let out a loud shout as she threw the fireball at the mirror, exploding on impact and shattering it to pieces. As they fell, she could hear the mocking laughter of three women, one old and two younger. Upon looking at the shards, she saw the same older woman from before along with two young girls about thirteen years old. They all laughed…at her.

Cinder stepped on shard after shard, but only saw more of their reflections. When she was about to step on another one, instead of laughing, she heard them gagging for breath. She took the time to look at one of the shards to them suffering from stab wounds that were being inflicted on them out of nowhere.

" _Cinder…why would you do this?"_ the older woman asked in a raspy voice. Soon, there was no movement from any of them, their clothes soaked in their blood. Cinder smiled sadistically at this sight.

"If I can learn to bring people back from the dead, I'll start with you three," she spoke. "I'll bring you back…so I can kill you a thousand times over, just like I'll do to Pyrrha Nikos and Ruby Rose."

Hate and Fear. The emotions she thrived on receiving from her enemies and her subordinates.

Also, unfortunately, the only two emotions she ever truly knew.

-0-

Ruo walked up to Yang's room, bringing her lunch since she was tired from the work today. When he entered, he could see her sitting on a chair…but her robotic arm was still not placed on.

"I brought you lunch," the Faunus informed. Yang didn't respond as her boyfriend put the tray on the table next to her chair.

"Why haven't you tried it yet?" Ruo asked.

"It's not that easy," Yang replied.

"No one said recovering from what happened would be easy," the Faunus told her. "Are you just done being a Huntress?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" the blonde brawler asked with a frustrated expression. Ruo pointed over to the robotic arm that had been sitting on her nightstand for nearly two weeks.

"You've been given a way to return to what you want to do," he stated. "Your dad said himself; General Ironwood had his best scientist make that for you."

"I never asked him for it," Yang shot back.

Ruo exhaled impatiently. He was getting fed up with Yang's self-pitying and contentment with staying depressed rather than taking her chance to get back into the world.

"You can't do this forever, Yang," Ruo claimed. "You can't just be nothing but a burden for your father to carry around with him."

"A burden?" Yang barked, rising from her seat. "I was the one who kept this family together. I was the one who had to stay strong for Ruby and him when he was supposed to be strong for us!"

"And he knows that," the Faunus assured. "Your father knows that he screwed up, that he wasn't the father he should've been. But you're doing the same thing."

"Same thing?" Yang questioned.

"You lost something you cared about and now you've shut down as well," the White Tiger bluntly spoke. "Now your father's being there for you just as you were there for him."

"Don't you understand!?" the blonde brawler cried out, slamming her fist on the tray of food. "It never should've happened! I shouldn't have been the one to have to keep this family together! I deserved better than that! I had to be a sister and a mother to Ruby because we lost Summer."

"Do you really think he doesn't recognize that?" Ruo asked. "He knows he screwed up and he admits it. He straight up said it was the biggest regret of his life having to force all that pressure on you. But now people need you."

"Who needs me?" Yang asked. "Blake abandoned us. Weiss is stuck up in Atlas. Ruby…she left me."

"Only because you lashed out at her!" Ruo reprimanded. "She was trying to help you and all you did was yell at her just because you were hurting!"

"No, because she needs to grow up and realize that life isn't a fairy tale," Yang denied.

"That's not an excuse to lash out at her," the Faunus shot back. "You need to calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Yang lashed out, her eyes burning red.

"You just did it," Ruo pointed out, not intimidated by Yang's anger. "You just lashed out because you heard something you didn't want to hear. This is why people think your temper is out of control; whenever you're reprimanded for it, you act all offended."

"I know I have a temper," Yang replied. "But it's not out of control. I have every right to be angry right now after everything that's happened."

"And now you have a chance to get back on your feet," the Faunus stated, gesturing to the robotic arm on her nightstand. "The solution is right there, waiting for you…waiting for you to stop feeling sorry for yourself." Yang glared at Ruo dead in the eye, not liking what she just heard.

"You think you've lost everything," the Faunus continued. "But there is still so much you should be thankful for."

"Like what?" Yang asked callously. "You?"

That shocked Ruo to his core. He had spent these months putting up with Yang lashing out at him, trying to be supportive, and help her. To be told that she wasn't thankful for his help, for everything he had done…shocked and angered him beyond words.

"This better be the part where you apologize," he sternly spoke.

"This is the part where you get out," Yang shot back.

"I came here to help you," the White Tiger reminded her. "I chose you over my teammates because-"

"Because what?" Yang barked. "You and I were barely anything. We weren't even dating for a year and you think that just because you've spent these months here, I'm going to take you into my bed and let you have your way with me?"

"That is NOT why I did this," Ruo responded, doing his best to keep his voice from rising. "I did this because I know how you feel right now."

"You think that just because your mom hurt you that you understand what I'm going through?" Yang questioned. "I lost a part of me. A piece of me is gone. You don't know anything about what I'm going through."

"Yes, I do," Ruo shot back. "I know what it's like to live with a maimed body. You saw my scars, Yang. But you only saw the physical ones."

"I don't care!" the blonde brawler shouted. "I never asked you for your help! I didn't want you to come here and I don't want you anywhere near me! There's nothing between us anymore! We're not friends, Ruo; we were barely boyfriend and girlfriend."

Ruo's eyes widened in anger as he clenched his fist at Yang's hurtful words. He couldn't believe he just heard that, for her to say that he was practically worthless to her. He genuinely loved her, but it was obvious that the love she felt for him was gone, replaced by her anger at everything.

"If that's how it is, then fine," the Faunus growled. "I'm done watching you do this."

"Oh, this is hard for you?" Yang asked in disbelief.

"YES, IT IS!" Ruo roared, nearly rolling Yang onto her bed with his voice alone. "I know you've had it rough, but there are many people out there who have it rough as well! Math can't use his arm to fight anymore! Pyrrha can barely walk without limping! Robin lost his eyes and, with them, his Semblance! There many victims of the Fall of Beacon, Yang, so don't be a bitch and pretend you're the only one suffering! If you want to stay here, moping and stuck in your self-pity, then be my guest! I'm done."

Yang was at a complete loss of words, a shocked expression on her face. Ruo walked out of the room and went over to the guest bedroom to pack up his belongings. When he had everything packed up, he walked out the door to see Yang standing in the frame of her own.

"So what?" she asked. "Are you leaving?"

Ruo looked away for a minute, regret and sadness in his face. He didn't want to leave Yang behind, but what she had just said hurt him too much. He had tried to help her and she continued to lash out at everyone. He couldn't take it anymore; he was done with trying to help her when all she'd do is sit and mope around. He changed his emotional scowl to a stoic one before looking back at his ex-girlfriend.

"Yes," he replied. "This isn't a see-you-later, this is goodbye." He didn't bother to see the reaction on Yang's face, but he didn't think he could. His patience had run out and he was done.

Just as he walked down the stairs to the living room, the entry opened for Tai to walk in with Zwei, having taken him to the vet. He immediately noticed the bag on Ruo's arm and quickly deduced what it meant.

"Are you leaving?" he asked him. Ruo nodded his head.

"I'm done," he expressed. "I don't have the patience for this anymore." He started to walk to the entrance, but Tai put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"I know she's being very difficult right now, but she needs you," he insisted. "She loves you."

Ruo looked down as if he had been told a sweet lie. He loved Yang, but she just flat out said that everything they had between them was worthless to her. He couldn't stay, wondering if that was her speaking or just her being depressed. Regardless, Ruo couldn't handle that.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xiao Long," he apologized. He started to walk further to the entrance, but stopped when he saw Zwei with a sad face, whimpering.

"Great, even Zwei wants me to stay," Ruo thought to himself. He walked around him and left the Xiao Long household. As he walked further and further away, the urge to cry became stronger and harder to resist with every passing moment.

He had left her. He had spent these months trying to help her get past her PTSD and depression. He did it all because he loved her. He loved the blonde brawler who looked beyond his painful past and hi scarred body, who returned the same affection he held for her, who he had shared many wonderful memories with.

Now it was gone. Even when presented with a solution that would allow her to return to the world as a fighter, she instead chose to stay in depression and blame everyone but herself.

As he walked away, he heard squawking. He looked over to his right to see a raven perched on a branch, acting as if it was focused on him. He looked back for several moments until the bird flew off.

"I'm sorry, Yang," the Faunus apologized before continuing to walk away from the house.

-0-

Glaucus was on his way to the Kendrick household, a smile on his face as he had heard good news despite the situation Vale was in.

Math, Pyrrha and Robin had all received the gifts from General Ironwood. From what he had heard from Corcra, they were beyond excited to have them, allowing them to continue their training as Huntsmen.

But in spite of this wonderful news, one piece of reality had temporarily escaped them: Mathdon and Pyrrha didn't have any weapons. Math had lost his weapons during the Fall of Beacon and Pyrrha's were broken by Cinder during their duel. Because of the numerous Grimm that still occupied Beacon, retrieving Math's lost weapons was impossible. He was left with only option: he had to forge new ones, as well as Pyrrha.

Glaucus knocked on the door of the Kendrick household three times, where he was immediately greeted by the barking of their dog. He heard Math say "Quiet, girl!" before it was silenced. The door was unlocked and opened to reveal his apprentice, now wearing the arm brace.

"Glaucus!" he greeted as the two of them hugged. "I'm so glad you could come."

"I'm glad I could," the Gray Wanderer replied with a smile on his face. When the two of them parted, they walked inside, where Math had to push Siocled back inside.

"Hello, Mr. Viisaus," Pyrrha greeted as she walked into sight.

"Hello, Ms. Nikos," he reciprocated. He looked down her leg to see the ankle brace she had been sent.

"How do they feel?" he asked them.

"It feels…natural now," Math answered as he moved his arm around. "It hurt at first, but it feels…it just feels great to be able to use my arm again."

"Hey, Glaucus," Corcra greeted as she exited her room and walked down the hallway.

"Good to see you," he replied as he placed his staff, leaning against the wall. "Where's your daughter?"

"At counseling," she answered.

"Well, I hope it helps her," Glaucus responded. Corcra invited everyone into the living room, where she sat in her chair, Glaucus on one sofa and Math and Pyrrha on the other.

"How's the effort to retake Beacon?" Corcra asked Glaucus. His welcoming smile quickly changed to one of concern.

"It hasn't been going well," he answered. "They've already lost 30% of their force."

"Any more would be crippling," Pyrrha exclaimed. "Why hasn't Professor Goodwitch pulled out?"

"All that talk of her becoming unreasonable and erratic is not just talk," Glaucus revealed. "Some of her force that was lost was from Huntsmen abandoning the group. Plus, I've spoken to her myself; she's obsessed with taking back the Academy at any cost."

"This can't continue," Corcra stated. "We need those Huntsmen back in Vale to fight off the Iron Knights. With the Huntsmen Accords hacked, they'll know where to strike."

"Hacked?" Math asked. "But we stopped them that night."

"Nachtfel was smart enough to install a second device," Glaucus revealed. "They now have information on every Huntsman and Huntress in the Kingdom. But with what's been happening, it's probable that they're targeting the ones outside of the Kingdom first."

"What makes you say that?" the autistic swordsman questioned.

"The Iron Knights' numbers have decreased significantly," Glaucus answered. "Plus, we've been getting reports of villages outside of Vale being attacked. Forest told me of a few he ran into."

"Villages were attacked?" Pyrrha gasped.

"Any villages that were friendly to the Huntsmen," the Gray Wanderer specified. "Everyone was slaughtered; man, woman, child, elder, human, Faunus…it didn't matter to them; the only thing that mattered was that they supported Huntsmen…and they wanted them dead."

Math felt his blood boil from what he just heard as he remembered Nachtfel's words during their duel. He claimed to be leading the ones who would protect Remnant, yet they slaughtered innocent people who couldn't defend themselves. They called Huntsmen the source of corruption, yet it was partially their efforts that left so many people dead or endangered. At first, he felt sorry for them, but now, he saw them as the embodiment of hypocrisy; quick to blame others for the corruption in the world, yet completely blind to the damage they caused.

"Well, I hope we put an end to them," Math expressed.

"Well, as soon as you're ready, we can," Glaucus replied. "That's why I'm here; to help you both make new weapons."

"You'd be willing to help us?" Pyrrha asked with a brightened look on her face. "Thank you so much."

"After we've forged your new weapons, you'll have to train with them," the Gray Wanderer continued.

"Since Forest isn't here, I'll be helping to train you both," Corcra added. "I'm not good with blacksmithing, but as soon as your new weapons are ready, we begin training."

"Hopefully, Saf will be able to join us," the swordsman said.

"I hope so as well," Corcra agreed. "Where's the forge you're taking Math and Pyrrha to?"

"It's owned by an acquaintance of mine," Glaucus answered. "His name's Bungo Greensburg."

"Does he mind us using his forge?" Math asked.

"Of course not," Glaucus assured. "He's glad to be helping you two out. Of course, he'll be offering help on how to make and improve your weapons, so I'd suggest you listen to him."

Math and Pyrrha were overjoyed at this turn of events. Not only did they receive help from General Ironwood in the forms of an arm and ankle brace, but now Glaucus was helping them to make new weapons. The road was paved for them to continue on; now they just needed to walk it.

"When do we start?" Math asked. "Today?"

"In three days," Glaucus answered. "Bungo has a huge workload in front of him, repairing weapons for the Huntsmen. He hopes that he can have it cleared in three days for us so we can get started."

"Thanks…really," Math replied. "It means a lot to us." Glaucus walked over and put a hand on Math's shoulder, offering him a smile as if he was his proud father.

"Anytime," he responded.

 **Author's Notes: If you enjoy my series, then I'd like to ask you to vote on my poll for your favorite member of Team MRRN! Keep enjoying this series and write on!**


	7. Across Remnant

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 7: Across Remnant**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"Just a few more miles to the next town," Ruby informed everyone as they continued walking on the trail, holding a map. "We should be able to get there before noon."

"Sounds good to me," Nora spoke. "I'm starving."

"You just ate," Ren reminded her. "How can you still be hungry?"

"It's just how my body works," the hammer user replied. "So, Jaune, any chance we can see some embarrassing pictures with you and your sisters?"

"No," Jaune refused.

"Oh, come on," Nora insisted. "I'm sure you're adorable in those pictures." Jaune rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Can we please stop bringing up the embarrassing stories when I went camping with my sisters?" he asked in a somewhat pleading manner.

"Hmmm…nope," Ruby replied in a cheerful tone.

Just as Ruby said, they reached the town around noon, which looked like any normal village outside of Mistral. The four of them looked around for supplies and ammo at the market, which they managed to find plenty of.

"It was real nice of your parents to lend us some money," Ruby informed. "We'd have a harder time affording stuff."

"Yeah," Jaune agreed as he looked at his newly upgraded armor and weapons. "I'm just glad I didn't have to pay for this."

In contrast to his older armor, it had a beautiful white color with golden outlines on his breastplate, gauntlets and grieves. His sword now possessed an inlay with metal that had made it heavier, but stronger; regardless, it didn't slow him down at all.

He was proud of himself. He had come a long way ever since he came with Ruby on her journey to Haven Academy to track down Cinder, the one responsible for the Fall of Beacon and the deaths of so many innocent people that night. He had become stronger, faster, and much more skilled with his sword and shield; he felt like a complete contrast to the insecure guy he first was when he went to the Academy.

As they looked around, he could see an obvious look of worry on Ruby's face. She hadn't said much, but Jaune could tell that she missed her teammates. Weiss had been forced back by her father to Atlas, despite her insisting that she was needed in Vale. He claimed it was for her safety, but from what he had heard of him from Weiss, he did it purely out of selfish reasons.

Blake had abandoned them after arriving back in Vale. She didn't stop to say goodbye to anyone; she just took off. No one knew where she was, which worried Ruby, considering her background with the White Fang. They could be hunting her for abandoning them, but Blake was smart enough to stay out of harm's way.

Jaune's thoughts went back to the days at Beacon, after Team RWBY's mission had ended.

" _Hey, Weiss," Jaune greeted in the library._

" _Hello, Jaune," she reciprocated, looking up from her book to look at him._

" _How's Yang?" he asked. "I know we haven't heard anything about Ruo." Weiss sighed as she put her book down._

" _She's worried," the heiress replied. "There's been no word from them ever since they set out."_

" _I'm sure they're fine," the Arc tried to assure. "I mean, we've seen those guys fight. They're tough." Weiss didn't say anything in reply. Jaune was about to walk off, but was stopped when he heard her say "Wait." He turned around to look at the heiress, wondering what was up._

" _Could you sit for a minute?" she asked of him._

" _Sit?" he asked a bit nervously. "Sure." He walked over to the opposite side of the table to sit in one of the chairs. Weiss put her book down and exhaled; she looked a bit nervous, completely different to the usual collected and confident Ice Queen he knew._

" _That night at the dance," she started. "It…I know I didn't ask you to be my date, but…I'm glad I spent with you." Jaune twiddled his thumbs out of anxiety, not being familiar with this warmer side of Weiss Schnee._

" _You're welcome," he replied. "I'm sorry Neptune couldn't go with you."_

" _That's fine," she responded. "It turned out good either way. I got to enjoy the dance." She was seeming to blush a little, immediately catching Jaune's attention. The only time he had ever seen her blush was when she was with Neptune, meaning something was going on._

" _Jaune, what I'm trying…I had…It was really…" She kept trying to talk, but cut herself off every time. This was completely out of character for Weiss, to be so unsure of what to say when she normally had no problem speaking to anyone in any manner, whether it be good or bad._

" _Thanks," she finally got out. "Thanks for…making that night special for me." Jaune smiled at her; as soon as she saw it, she nearly returned it until her eyes widened and her face turned red._

" _D-Don't get the wrong idea, you dunce!" she quickly stated. "I just wanted to thank you, not-"_

" _I get it," Jaune replied. "I'll talk to you later." As Jaune stood up and started to walk away, Weiss addressed him again._

" _I saw you at Vale during the invasion," she informed. "You did well." That made Jaune smile before walking away to leave Weiss to her work._

"Jaune?" Ruby called, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You're stepping in dog poop." The Arc looked down at his boot and could see the brown stuff on the bottom of it.

"Aw, man," he groaned. "And it smells." Ruby chuckled at Jaune's slight misfortune as she kept looking through ammo for her Crescent Rose.

"What were you thinking about?" the reaper asked after getting what she wanted.

"I…I was just thinking about Weiss," Jaune answered.

Ruby's energetic smile dropped at hearing her teammate's name. She missed Weiss.

When they first met, Weiss was selfish, arrogant, and very intolerable of foolishness. However, over time, she revealed herself to be a much more kind and caring person underneath that Ice Queen persona that had placed her odds with Ruby when they first met. She still retained her rather strict and cocky traits, but she was definitely much nicer than Ruby gave her credit for.

"I wish there were still here," Ruby told the Arc. "Weiss, Blake, Yang…I wish they were here."

"Maybe one day, they'll come back," Jaune insisted. "They're your friends and teammates."

"I just don't know anymore," Ruby replied, her loss of enthusiasm being easily sensed. "Can Weiss leave Atlas? Her dad is one of the most powerful men in the world. And Blake…we still have no idea where she is. Yang…" The reaper's only fresh memory of her sister was the same as before; she tries to help Yang, she gets angry and then yells at her, calling her naive. Jaune placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder, hoping it'd help.

"Yang's just in a bad place right now," he reminded her. "I'm sure when she's back on her feet, she'll realize what she did was wrong and apologize."

"Yeah…" Ruby responded, making Jaune looked worried at her.

These last months had taken their toll on Ruby, who had been pushed away by her sister, watched one of her closest friends be torn to pieces just to make a statement, watched another friend get shot, and had no way of contacting either Weiss or Blake; Weiss because her father would undoubtedly think of her teammates as lowly and unworthy of being around her, Blake because, as stated, she had zero idea where she was. What if she didn't want to be found? What if she was content with leaving everyone behind?

"Ruby," Jaune addressed. "You'll see them again." Ruby smiled at him before hearing someone shouting in anger. They looked over to see Nora chowing down pancakes like no tomorrow, which was obviously angering the owner of the stand.

"Nora!" Ruby and Jaune shouted as they rushed over to stop her gluttonous onslaught.

-0-

"So this is Menagerie?" Sun asked Blake as they walked off the ship.

"It is," she answered. The place was filled with Faunus in tropical clothing, owning stands of all kinds on the beachside, huts on the land and water, and a very warm climate.

"I've never seen so many happy Faunus in one place," Sun commented as they walked among the stands.

"Menagerie is the one place where both human and Faunus can feel safe," Blake explained.

"Why is it so crowded?" the Monkey Faunus asked as he moved out of someone's way.

"This is what happens when you put an entire species on an island that's two-thirds desert," Blake spoke.

"Two-thirds desert?" Sun replied, jumping in front of Blake. "Why waste it?"

"It's not like the deserts in Vacuo," Blake explained. "The wildlife here is very dangerous, more so than the other regions."

"Hey!" a Faunus shouted at Sun. "Give that back, you thief!" Blake looked at Sun's tail to see a banana held in it, making her glare at the Monkey Faunus.

"Give it back," Blake demanded.

"It's just one," Sun responded, earning him a slap from Blake.

"Now," she sternly told him. He exhaled before giving the banana back to its owner.

"Sun, this is old," Blake groaned in frustration. "Why is it so hard for you to not steal?"

"Blake, I…I was going to eat it," the Monkey replied.

"That's not the point!" the Cat snapped at him. "We can't just go around, doing whatever we want, meaning you can't keep going around and stealing stuff. How many times do you have to be told before you'll listen?"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Sun apologized. "I'll try not to do it again."

"For the love of…" Blake groaned. "You always say that, but you keep doing it. No matter what you're told, no matter what punishments you're threatened with, you won't stop. Either do it or don't." Blake walked up some steps with Sun following her. When they reached the top, Sun was amazed by the sight of the beauty of Kuo Kuana.

"This is amazing!" the Monkey Faunus gasped. "I take back what I said. Who would want to leave this place?" Blake rubbed her eyes in annoyance.

"You just don't get it, do you, Sun?" the Cat asked. "We asked to be equals, to be treated fairly and just; that's all we've ever wanted. Instead, we were given an island and told 'this is your reward, take it or leave it'. Many Faunus see think of this as a slap in the face…and honestly, I'm one of them. This island, this town…many think of it as a safe haven for Faunus. It's not; it's a reminder that we are still not equals."

"Well, I'm feeling pretty at home," Sun replied in an assuring tone. Blake sighed.

"Time to go home," she stated.

"Where is it?" Sun asked as he wrapped her arm around her, prompting her to use her Semblance to get away and make Sun fall to the ground.

"Personal space," she reminded him. "And it's that one." Sun got up to look at where Blake was pointing…at the large, black home in the center. As they started to walk down the steps, Blake held out her hand to stop Sun.

"No stealing," she sternly reminded him. "One theft and you're finding your own place."

"I won't," Sun assured, but Blake was barely convinced. "Who else lives there?"

"My parents," Blake answered as they approached the door. She was about to knock, but hesitated.

"You okay?" the Monkey Faunus asked.

"It's…it's been a long time since I've seen my parents," Blake responded.

"Well, there's no time like the present," Sun replied. The Cat Faunus breathed heavily before knocking on the door, creating a loud booming noise.

"Okay, if we're being honest, that's kind of intimidating," Sun said. The door opened to show a male about Sun's height with shaggy gray hair, brown eyes, stubble, a build comparable to Sun's with a gray wolf tail. For his attire, he was wearing a gray tunic with a black vest over it, black pants and boots. His weapon, which appeared to be a Hunting Bow on a quiver of arrows, was resting on his back. As soon as he saw Blake, his eyes widened, as did hers.

"Blake?" he asked.

"Akela?" she asked back. Before she knew it, the Faunus wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, prompting her to return it.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she assured. "It's good to see you again."

"You know him?" Sun asked. Akela pulled away from Blake to make eye contact with the unknown Faunus.

"Is he with you?" he asked.

"Yeah…kind of," Blake answered. "Sun, this is Akela Dhoosar. Akela, this is Sun Wukong."

"Blake?" a female voice asked, belonging to a woman that looked like an older version of Blake with short black hair, amber eyes, purple eyeshadow and three earrings on her cat ears.

"Hi, Mom," Blake shyly greeted. The older woman slowly approached Blake before embracing her in yet another hug.

"Oh, my baby girl," she spoke softly. Blake returned the embrace, happy to be with her mother again.

"Kali, who is it?" a deep male voice called from inside the house. A large and muscular man with a large beard, black hair, golden eyes and a rather tribal outfit approached the entrance. As soon as he saw Blake, his questioning scowl changed to one of shock and surprise before greeting her with a warm smile.

Akela helped Kali and Ghira prepare some tea for Blake's return. After doing so, Akela was ready to go and help monitor White Fang activity in Menagerie; even though they insisted he stay, he assured them he'd come back for another time.

"How's Akela been?" Blake asked Kali.

"He's been fine," she answered. "He's grown into quite the fighter."

"Who's Akela?" Sun asked Blake, unsure of who the Faunus they encountered was.

"A very dear friend of ours," Kali replied. "He and Blake grew up together."

"Mom!" Blake quietly scolded.

"What?" she asked with a coy tone. "It's true." As the conversation went on, the subject of Beacon was eventually brought up.

"Vale wasn't perfect, but it certainly didn't deserve the fate it suffered," Kali expressed. "We were so worried about you."

"Oh, please," Ghira dismissed with a chuckle. "I knew right away she would be fine."

"That's not true at all," Kali scoffed. "You should've seen him pacing the floor."

"Well, I wouldn't worry about her," Sun assured. "I've seen her fight. She's got some moves." Ghira narrowed his eyes down at the Monkey Faunus.

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Wukong?" he questioned, earning a nervous look from Sun before he awkwardly tried to explain his reasons.

"Why is he here again?" Kali asked Blake.

"He just…followed me home," her daughter answered.

"Does Akela have competition?" the older Cat Faunus asked teasingly, making her daughter blush.

"Mom!" Blake scolded.

"What?" Kali chuckled. "You and him were close back when you were kids."

"Yeah, we're friends, but-" Just then, Akela walked into the room.

"Chieftain," he addressed Ghira. "Corsac and Fennec Albain are requesting an audience with you." Ghira groaned in annoyance at himself.

"I completely forgot," he replied. "How long have they been waiting?"

"They just got here," the Wolf Faunus informed.

"Who's here?" Sun asked.

"Representatives from the White Fang," Kali answered.

"WHAT!?" Blake and Sun gasped in unison, much to everyone's confusion.

"Yes, the Albains represent the White Fang here in Menagerie," Ghira informed.

"Those psychos want to talk to you?" the Monkey Faunus asked in disbelief. "How can you not know what happened?"

"What are you talking about?" Akela questioned, unsure of what was going on.

"They were there, at the Fall of Beacon," Blake informed. "They attacked innocent civilians and released Grimm into the school." Ghira, Kali and Akela all looked at each other with surprise and uncertainty.

"They were there?" Akela asked for clarification. "Are you serious?"

"We wouldn't be telling you this if it wasn't true," Blake answered.

"Alright," Ghira replied. "I'll go talk to them." He got up from his seat and went to the entrance to greet the Albains.

"The White Fang attacking Beacon?" Akela said to himself. "Has Sienna lost her mind?"

"Sienna didn't lead the attack," Blake told him. "Adam did." Akela's eyes widened as he looked at his childhood friend.

"Adam Taurus?" he questioned, his scowl one of shock before changing to a calm one. "He really did that?"

"He did," Blake confirmed. About two minutes passed before Ghira came back and sat at the table. He seemed a bit frustrated and unsure.

"What did they say?" Akela asked.

"They don't deny it," the Chieftain replied. "However, they claim Adam didn't act on Sienna's orders."

"You can't honestly believe that," Sun gasped in disbelief.

"Sienna Khan may be an extremist, but she's not mad," Akela claimed. "I highly doubt she would condone a full scale assault on the Huntsman Academies."

"I agree," Ghira complied. "But this…this is something we cannot ignore and we won't."

"What do you suggest?" the Wolf Faunus asked.

"For now, we need to monitor White Fang activity more closely," the Chieftain answered. "Inform Bhaal to keep an eye out for any unusual White Fang activity. I cannot take any chances."

"I will," Akela replied before leaving the house.

"Don't worry; we can handle them," Sun cockily replied. Ghira exhaled in annoyance.

"I really don't like you," he bluntly responded.

-0-

Qrow watched from the building next to the inn that Team RNJR was staying in. As he promised to Yang, he had kept an eye on them ever since they left for Haven. His mind was occupied by a conversation he had overheard Jaune, Ren and Nora having while he was in his bird form.

" _What did Ozpin do to her?" Ren asked as they sat around a fire, Ruby out by herself training._

" _I don't know, but from what she said, he tried to force something on her," Jaune added. "When we brought it up…why wouldn't she tell us what happened?"_

" _Well, maybe because it's very traumatic for her," Nora suggested, acting as if the two males around her were dense. "I just hope she's okay."_

" _Pyrrha's strong," Ren replied. "She's never been one to back down. With Math helping her, I'm sure she'll recover soon."_

" _Who knows what else they may be doing~?" Nora whispered to herself, a mischievous smirk on her face. "Maybe they'll have babies when we come back."_

"Did Ozpin…really force it…?" Qrow tried to comprehend. He never thought Ozpin would ever go as far as to force the Maiden powers on Pyrrha. It was hinted at several times, but he didn't think the Beacon Headmaster would actually do it. He was hoping it was just a huge misunderstanding and that Oz hadn't done it. He was broken out of his thoughts when a waitress placed a glass of whiskey on his table.

"I didn't order anything," he responded.

"Someone ordered it for you," the waitress informed. "Lady upstairs with black hair and red eyes. Have a good evening."

Qrow groaned when he knew exactly who it was. He grabbed his drink and walked upstairs to see none other than his twin sister, Raven Branwen.

"Hello, brother," she greeted. Qrow walked over to her table, but stopped when he saw that Raven's mask, resembling a Nevermore, was at his seat. Raven sighed before moving it and then her brother sat down.

"Alright," the alcoholic started. "What do you want?"

"Can't I just catch up on family?" Raven asked.

"If you want to catch up on family, then why not go see Yang?" Qrow questioned as he sipped from his drink. Raven's cocky smile turned into a serious scowl.

"Does she have it?" she questioned. A few moments of silence passed, not receiving any answer from her brother.

"Did you know Yang lost her arm?" Qrow finally spoke. Raven looked conflicted for a moment before she adopted a serious look again.

"That's not why I-"

"Rhetorical question, I know you know," Qrow interrupted. "It's so damn annoying to hear you preach about family when you act like your own daughter doesn't exist."

"I saved her," Raven reminded him, remembering the time she stopped a lackey from finishing her daughter off on the train.

"One time," Qrow pointed out. "One time. All because 'she won't become strong if I hold her hand'. Oh, the bull crap that comes out of you sometimes." He went to reach for his drink, but Raven grabbed his arm.

"I told you Beacon would fall…and it did," she sternly told him. "I told you Ozpin would fail…and he has. But from what I heard, that's not the only thing he did." Qrow glared at his sister, who was giving him a rather condescending smile.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You're not the only one who's been keeping tabs on that girl," Raven replied. "I've heard what her friends said, that Ozpin forced something on their friend." Qrow pulled his hand away from Raven's grasp.

"You don't know what you're talking about," the scythe user responded.

"I do…and you don't want me to be right," Raven responded. "Why won't you grow up and accept that Ozpin isn't some saint that was sent to save us all?"

"How about you grow up and start taking your own advice?" Qrow countered. "If you listened to yourself, you'd realize how much of a hypocrite you've become." Raven frowned at her brother.

"You should've left with me," the twin sister insisted. "We're nothing but pawns to him. He doesn't care about the lives he ruins." Qrow sipped from his drink, giving a look to his twin that was pure disbelief.

"There's your hypocrisy again," Qrow groaned. "Last I saw, you didn't do anything to help Shion, right? You just attacked them and left them at the mercy of the Grimm." Raven stood up from her seat in defiance.

"This is not one of the Kingdoms," she stated. "This is a merciless land. Strength is virtue, weakness is sin. Those are the rules."

"Your rules…or the tribe's?" Qrow directly asked Raven. "Those are their words, not yours."

"They raised us," the twin sister reminded her brother. "They taught us how to survive."

"They wanted to teach us to be killers and thieves," Qrow corrected. "And with the way you've been acting, they've also been teaching you to be self-righteous hypocrites."

"I will do what I must to ensure our survival," Raven proclaimed. "As long as I am leader, I will live by the rules we were raised by. They were our family." Qrow shook his head with a rather empathetic expression.

"Yeah, a family who berated you, abused you, beat you, starved you…the list is endless of what they did," the scythe user bluntly stated. "They only started treating you with any kind of respect when you became leader. Before that-"

"Because I was weak," Raven interrupted. "I had to learn to be strong. The tribe taught me that."

"The tribe did nothing for you," Qrow repeated. "All they did was treat you like garbage. They didn't teach you how to be strong, your team did." Raven looked away for several moments, not speaking at all.

"Does she have it?" she demanded to know.

"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff," Qrow replied.

"If you won't answer my question, then we have nothing more to discuss," Raven responded before reaching for her mask, but Qrow grabbed it as well.

"You can't stay out of this forever, Raven," he insisted. "Only four people are capable of doing the things you and the tribe did to that village. Salem will come for you; do you really want to face her alone?" Raven smirked.

"I've done well so far," she answered. "Ozpin won't defeat her. All he'll do is disappoint you."

"At least I'm not a coward like you," Qrow shot back. Raven frowned as she took her mask from Qrow's grasp.

"Says the man who's using his own niece as bait," she responded before putting her mask on and opening a portal to leave. Qrow watched as she left, feeling conflicted about her. It also angered him to know that she knew about Pyrrha possibly having the Maiden powers forced on her by Ozpin.

"Oz…" Qrow whispered. "I really hope she's wrong. You wouldn't do that; I know you."


	8. Tender Memories

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 8: Tender Memories**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Forest's group had taken time to rest at a local inn that was luckily Faunus-friendly. While Ruadh was eating a hearty meal and Sterling was looking over the arrows available at the market, Forest was sitting at the table in their room, looking over the map of Remnant.

"We've had very few encounters with the Iron Knights these past few weeks," the swordsman whispered. "They must be mobilizing to attack one of the other Academies. Question is, where?"

There were only three targets: Haven Academy in Mistral, Atlas Academy in Atlas and Shade Academy in Vacuo. In his opinion, Atlas seemed the most probable target considering the Iron Knights' hatred for the Kingdom, but he didn't want to go up there unless he had confirmation or they'd just be going on a wild goose chase.

As he took a small break from examining the map and weighing all the possible options, he caught sight of a white rose petal on the windowsill, which brought up memories for the warrior.

 _Beacon Academy. He never thought he'd be here, but it happened. He had come from Vacuo to the prestigious Academy of Vale. He had his weapon, Rohkeus, slung over his back as he walked up to the courtyard. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, a result of someone running into him._

" _I'm so sorry!" a female voice replied. "Are you okay?"_

" _I'm fine," Forest replied. "I-" His sentence fell short when he looked at the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen in his life._

 _She had shoulder length black hair that gradated to dark red at the tips, silver eyes and wore a cloak that was white on the outside and red on the inside. The rest of her attire was black with a skirt and high boots._

" _Umm…" Forest replied before clearing his throat._

" _I'm so sorry," the young woman apologized. "I didn't see you there."_

" _It's okay," Forest assured as he wiped the dirt off his clothes. "Are you new here?"_

" _Yeah," she answered, putting on a beautiful smile that made Forest blush a little. "I'm just starting."_

" _Same here," Forest replied. "My name's Forest. Forest Kotka. What's yours?"_

" _Summer Rose," she reciprocated. "Where are you from?"_

" _Vacuo," he answered._

" _Vale," Summer stated. Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a broadly built young man like Forest, but with purple eyes, much lighter blonde hair and looked like a fist fighter rather than a swordsman. He walked over with a cocky smile and put his arm on Summer's shoulder._

" _Hey there, beautiful," he greeted flirtatiously. "Do you need that cloak to hide your smoking hot body?"_

" _Um…no?" Summer answered shyly._

" _Well, what do you say you and I walk to the Amphitheater together?" he suggested flirtatiously. "I wouldn't want the guys to come and harass you now."_

" _Like you're doing?" Forest questioned. 'Who are you anyway?"_

" _Taiyang Xiao Long," he answered in an arrogant tone. "Is this guy bothering you?"_

" _No," Summer replied before breaking away from the arrogant flirt._

" _Besides, I'm walking to the Amphitheater with her," Forest stated, hoping to make Taiyang back off._

" _Oh?" the fist fighter asked. "Alright. Well, hot stuff, if you ever want a man who'll treat you right, then look up Taiyang Xiao Long." He then winked before leaving the two of them alone, probably to flirt with the raven-haired young woman sitting down on a bench._

" _Thanks," Summer said._

" _You're welcome," Forest responded._

The day he first met Summer Rose, leader of Team STRQ. He remembered her fondly for her kindness and pure heart, something that attracted him to her. Unlike all the other young men who went after Raven, including Taiyang, Forest only had eyes for Summer.

" _I told you that movie would be awesome!" Summer told Forest as they walked away from the theater._

" _Awesome?" Forest asked, remembering the horror movie they just watched. "I…I almost…" Summer looked down and nearly burst out laughing._

 _Forest couldn't find it in himself to be mad at Summer; instead, he only smiled as she laughed._

 _It was becoming undeniable to himself at this point. Summer's compassion, caring, and kindness had made him fall in love with her. He didn't want to be just friends anymore. He waited for her to calm down before turning to face her._

" _Summer," he addressed. The white cloaked Huntress looked back at him, wondering what he was going to say._

" _Yes?" she asked._

" _I…I need to tell you something," the swordsman started. "I…well…" Summer waited to hear what Forest had to say, but it wasn't coming out. He felt that the only way to do it was to force himself to say those words._

" _I'm in love with you."_

 _Summer's face was a mix of emotions: surprise, shock, happiness, anxiety and uncertainty. She didn't expect to hear that from the eagle swordsman, despite the time they had spent together. She made no sounds, gave no responses…it was unnerving Forest, making him feel that he had messed up his proclamation of love._

" _Summer?" he asked._

" _I…" she finally got out. "I just never thought a guy would be interested in me."_

" _What?!" Forest gasped. "I think any man would be lucky to be with you. You're kind, caring, beautiful, an absolute sweetheart…you are a wonderful young woman, Summer." The white cloaked woman blushed heavily from Forest's compliments._

" _I always thought you were interested in Raven," Summer admitted. "I-" She was cut off by Forest pressing his lips onto hers. At first, she was taken by surprise, but then melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Forest's neck while he held her torso. They stayed like this for several moments before he broke away._

" _Raven may be attractive in her own way, but I never loved her," Forest stated. "Only you."_

After that day, the two of them started dating, often getting teased by Taiyang and Ruadh. It was a very healthy relationship; they had good moments, bad moments, wonderful moments…Forest remembered his relationship with the kind Summer Rose fondly. Sadly, that all stopped three years after graduation.

" _Why are you leaving?" Summer demanded to know. "You can't just turn your back on us!"_

" _Ozpin is a hypocrite and a liar!" Forest barked. "He cannot be trusted! How are we supposed to defeat Salem when Ozpin won't trust us with vital information?"_

" _The only way we can beat Salem is together," Summer claimed. "You can't beat her on your own. We need you."_

" _Ozpin's lies cost Trenton his life!" the eagle reminded her. "He cares more about his secrets than he cares about us! You really want to stay around and be a pawn for him?"_

" _I'm not doing this for him," the white cloaked Huntress denied. "I'm doing this for Remnant. There is a serious threat out there, who is wanting to destroy everything we love. I'm fighting for them…and, while I agree that Ozpin needs to be more upfront, he is our best chance of defeating Salem."_

" _If you honestly think Ozpin is our best chance of stopping Salem, then you're being delusional," the swordsman responded. "He claims to have great faith in humanity, but won't trust us with the information he has. I don't care for every little sin he's committed, but what I do care about is that he shares vital information with us." He then extended his hand._

" _Leave with me," he insisted. "We can defeat Salem, but not with Ozpin leading us."_

 _Summer contemplated the decision. She loved Forest dearly, wanting him to her husband and the father of her children. She had imagined their life together ever since their senior year, discussing the possibility of marriage, settling down and having a family. She knew Forest would be a wonderful father and a good trainer should their children become Huntsmen._

 _However, that all changed after Ozpin chose Teams STRQ and FRST to approach him. He explained to them the existence of Salem, the lifelong war they had been waging, and his ability to reincarnate whenever his current host dies. He had even granted the Branwen twins the abilities to transform into birds, similar to Forest's Semblance to transform into a Vacuo Golden Eagle._

 _They were all dedicated to the cause, having faith in their Headmaster that they could defeat Salem. Over time however, a few of them started to question Ozpin due to his secrecy and habit of keeping information from them, especially Forest and Raven. After the mission that had cost Trenton his life due to Ozpin keeping important information from them, Forest's faith in Ozpin had been all but shattered._

 _Summer, however, still had some faith in Ozpin. She definitely didn't like his tendencies to keep secrets, but she believed that he was their best chance of defeating the monster._

" _I'm sorry," Summer refused. "I'm not going with you."_

Their conflicting beliefs separated them that day. While they still kept in contact, it was often them pleading to come back with the other…until the day Forest heard from Glaucus the worst news in his life.

 _Forest knelt in front of Summer's gravestone, her symbol engraved into it and beneath it were the words:_

' _Summer Rose_

 _Thus kindly I scatter'_

 _He had just received the news from Glaucus: Summer had gone on a mission and never returned. He cried numerous tears as he looked at her gravestone, regretting the day he had left her because of his loss of faith in Ozpin._

" _I'm so sorry, Summer," he tearfully apologized. "I should never have left you. I should've been better to you."_

 _Salem knew too well who he was, but she didn't know about Ruby. For her safety, he had to stay away from the offspring of the woman he had once loved._

" _I loved you and only you," he proclaimed. "You were a wonderful person and I had no doubt you were also a wonderful mother. I should've been there for you…I should've been there and I wasn't. I'm sorry I can't look after your daughter; I must do so because I won't risk Salem finding her." He then placed two white roses on her gravestone before turning into an eagle and flying away._

"Forest?" Sterling asked, breaking the leader out of his thoughts. He turned around to look at the Snow Fox Faunus, who had just entered their room. He sighed before turning his attention back to the map of Remnant. However, Sterling could tell right away what happened by the sight of the white rose petal: Forest was thinking of Summer.

"You were thinking of her, weren't you?" he asked.

"Am I that obvious?" the eagle questioned.

"I know what always happens when you see a white rose," the Faunus replied as he walked up to him.

"Was I wrong?" he asked. "Should I have stayed with Summer's daughter instead of…?"

"You knew why you did it," Sterling replied. "If Salem had found out about Summer's daughter, she would've come after her. Sometimes, to protect the ones we love means not being close to them."

Regardless of whatever assurance he received, Forest felt conflicted about his decision to never interact in Ruby's life. Sometimes, he felt right to stay away on fears of the Grimm Queen setting her sights on her. Other times, he felt wrong for not looking after Summer's child.

"Forest, we have bigger issues to worry about," Sterling informed. "We need to know the Iron Knights' next move."

Forest nodded his head to his teammate before turning his attention back to the map, just as one more white rose petal joined the other on the windowsill.

-0-

Ruo had approached the ship that would take him back to Vale, having already presented his ticket to the booth to get on.

He couldn't stay on Patch anymore. The sole reason he had come was to help Yang recover from her PTSD and depression, to help the woman he had fallen in love with. He had chosen her over his own suffering teammates.

" _We were barely boyfriend and girlfriend."_

It didn't matter to him whether those words were genuine or just out of anger; they hurt far too much for him to stay. He had put up with Yang's outbursts, self-pity and blaming others, just like she blamed Ruby for running away.

"You pushed her away," Ruo snarled. "She tried to help you and all you did was yell at her."

" _Yang, stop petting my ears," Ruo grumbled as he slept with Yang on her bed back at Beacon._

" _Why?" she asked playfully._

" _You know why," the Faunus told her._

" _Okay," she complied before wrapping her arms around Ruo and hugging him close, his face near her breasts. The White Tiger tried to adjust himself, but Yang's grip was too tight for him to move; it was if she wanted him exactly that way._

 _Ruo had never felt this way towards a woman before. Every moment he was like this, the urge to pounce on her grew stronger, taking all of his willpower to suppress it._

" _Ruo," Yang whispered. "Aren't you going to hold me?"_

" _Oh, right," the Faunus responded before wrapping his own arms around Yang. Her pajama top only reached down to her belly button, leaving some skin exposed that he felt. He could hear giggling from above, obviously coming from Yang._

" _You're so cute," she whispered, making Ruo blush._

" _Well, I've never…been this close to a young woman before," he admitted. "It just takes some getting used to."_

" _You'll definitely have to get used to being close to me," Yang shamelessly responded. "Just don't touch my butt…yet."_

" _Yang!" Weiss scolded, having heard her. Yang stuck her tongue out at the heiress as Ruo blushed like crazy._

"Why did it have to be this way?" Ruo wondered. "If the Fall of Beacon hadn't happened…if Yang hadn't lost her arm…" he sighed, unsure of the situation anymore.

Yang now had a way to return to the life she loved, the life of being a Huntress. The recovery wouldn't be easy, but no one said it would be. Instead of at least trying, she continued to mope around and act like she was the only victim of the Fall of Beacon.

He missed the woman he loved. The Yang Xiao Long he knew was a kind, cheerful, if short-tempered person; her smile, her attitude, her care for her friends…it all attracted him to her.

" _Whoa!" Ruo gasped as Yang made a sharp turn with Bumblebee in the abandoned streets of Vale at night._

" _Whoo!" she cheered. "It is so good to be on Bumblebee again!"_

 _Ever since the Paladin Incident, Yang hadn't gotten on Bumblebee since there was nowhere in Beacon to drive without harming anyone or causing damage. Now that Roman Torchwick had been apprehended, Captain Kijivu lifted their confinement to the Academy, but warned them not to do something like that again._

" _Where are we going?" Ruo asked as he wrapped his arms around Yang._

" _I don't care," she replied. "I just want to drive! I've been cooped up in Beacon for weeks! I just want to be on Bumblebee right now! It's fun, right?" She didn't receive an answer._

" _Ruo?" she called. She looked back, only to find that Ruo was gone._

" _Ruo!?" she called out as she slowly went back the way she came. She found him in a small pond, his legs sticking out as the rest of him was underwater. He pulled himself up to look over at Yang, who suddenly burst into laughter._

" _I'm so sorry!" she laughed, eventually to the point where she fell off Bumblebee. Ruo chuckled and shook his head before a mischievous idea came to his mind. He jumped back into the deep pond, immediately gaining Yang's attention._

" _Ruo?" she called out with a few laughs. "I'm sorry." She walked over to the dock overlooking the pond as he knelt down and looked for her boyfriend._

" _Ruo?" she called out yet again. "I said I was sorry!" Just then, Ruo sprung up, wrapped his arms around Yang and pulled her into the water._

" _Gah!" she yelped as she rose up to the surface. "It's cold!" She was met with Ruo laughing at the success of his revenge prank._

" _Oh, so that's how it is?" she asked with a devilish smirk before splashing him, prompting him to do the same. After several minutes of splashing each other, the two of them got out of the pond, their clothes soaking wet._

" _Your fault," Ruo joked._

" _What?" Yang gasped. "You pulled me into the water."_

" _You threw me off your motorcycle!" the Faunus reminded her._

" _Jerk," Yang replied before taking her jacket off, leaving her in her tube top, making Ruo blush._

" _Yang, are you sure you should be doing that here?" he asked his girlfriend._

" _No one's around," she pointed out before putting her jacket back on. She caught Ruo blushing and chuckled._

" _What's the matter?" she asked. "Want to see my 'smoking hot body' again~?"_

" _Let's get back to Beacon," Ruo insisted._

" _Okay," she agreed. "Then you can look."_

Yang was something. She wasn't afraid to defy social norms. She wasn't a cut and dry person.

At first glance, she appeared as nothing more than a happy party girl. But those who scratched the surface could see that there was much more to her; she was kind, lonely, short-tempered, caring and was someone who had to be both a mother and a sister to Ruby. She had to hold on until Tai got over the death of Summer Rose.

They both knew loneliness, the pain of losing a parent, and having to move forward despite losing those they loved. Yang understood him better than anyone else, pushing him to confess that he killed his mother when she had gone too far in her brutal rampage in the White Fang.

For nearly seven months, he had been staying at Yang's side to help her recover. He wanted to help her get back on her feet; even though she had been presented with a way, she still continued to mope and feel sorry for herself.

If she wasn't being apathetic, she was being angry. If she wasn't caring, she was yelling. If she wasn't acting like nothing bothered her, she blamed everyone for leaving her.

The Yang Xiao Long he knew was gone. Her vibrant personality, her genuine soul, her caring heart…all replaced by self-pity and selfish blaming of others. He had lost the desire to remain on the island any longer. Any chance he had of returning was gone when the ship left.

-0-

Robin blocked the attacks from Dearg, who used his own bow against his younger brother. He had to get used to his new visor/ glasses that had restored his sight, along with the modes that had come with it. However, his parents were adamant that he must hone his close combat skills since they were lackluster compared to his long range.

"Don't play around," Dearg instructed Robin as they traded blows. "Attack your opponent." Robin slashed at his stomach with the sharp edges of his bow, nearly landing a blow on Dearg before he was hit in the chin as a counterattack.

"Alright," Dearg spoke as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I think that's enough for one day." Robin got up and wiped the dirt off his clothes before sitting down on a rock overlooking the hill that their home was on.

"How are your new glasses working?" Dearg asked his brother before sitting down next to him.

"I can see fine," Robin responded. "I'm just…getting used to this."

"What's bothering you?" the elder brother asked. Robin sighed.

" _Well, you certainly have fine taste," Coco complimented as they sat at a fancier restaurant called Blue Seahouse. She was wearing a tight brown dress, a pearl necklace, hoop earrings, nails painted black and black heels while Robin was wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks._

" _Thanks," Robin replied cockily. "I know how to make a woman feel special."_

" _Well, I'm certainly feeling special," Coco replied as she sipped some of her tea. "How've you been since the mission?"_

" _It was certainly intense," Robin replied. "Iron Knights, Grootslang, Tyrannosaur…it was very rough, but we made it. I just wish Professor Kura made it as well." Coco placed an assuring hand on his._

" _He knew what he was signing up for," she reminded her boyfriend. "But for now, let's just focus on tonight. You still owe me a dance."_

" _That I do," Robin confirmed as the two of them walked over to the dance floor as slow music started to play._

" _I hope those lessons with Ren pay off," the archer thought._

"Man, I screwed up bad with Coco," Robin commented as he cleaned Sharp Shot. "She came here to help me…and I just acted like an ass."

"Yeah, pretty much," Dearg bluntly responded. "We both acted like jackasses when we were dealing with our own personal problems. But if there's at least a chance to reconcile with Coco, I'd say take it."

"I don't know," Robin sighed. "I want more, but the way it's been, I think reconciling with her is the best I can do; we won't be anything more than friends."

"You don't know that," Dearg replied. "I won't say get your hopes up, but have some faith that things can be better between you two."

"Yeah," Robin replied.

"Do you still love her?" the elder archer asked.

"Yes," his brother confirmed. "I love her, but…I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to be the man she deserved."

"That is true as well," Dearg replied, earning a glare from his brother. "But there is such things as forgiveness. I think if Coco knows you're being genuine, she may be willing to forgive you."

Robin hoped he was right. Coco wasn't a flavor of the month for him, she was the most amazing woman he had ever met. They got along with each other so well and, despite their conflicts, showed immense love and support for each other, even going as far as to reveal troubling secrets within their families.

He had done a lot of damage to his relationship with Coco, but hoped that Dearg was right, that it wasn't beyond salvaging. Even if Coco didn't become his girlfriend, he hoped he could at the least make peace with her.

For now, he had to recover…and hone his close combat skills. He didn't need to get back to what he was, he needed to improve himself.


	9. Inspiration

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 9: Inspiration**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Mathdon sat on a rock overlooking the forest a few miles from his house. He just needed to be alone for now, even from his family.

Safirlas hadn't shown much improvement ever since her counseling started. She went only because Corcra was making her at this point, having grown tired of her lashing out at everyone and doing nothing around the house. The time for mourning was over; now was the time for his sister to get back on her feet.

Corcra was barely home anymore since the Iron Knights were still in Vale, hunting down any Huntsmen and Huntresses they could. By now, Vale's Huntsmen had gone down by , nearly a third of their veteran warriors were gone. Worst of all, Nachtfel was still nowhere to be found.

"That black-hearted devil," Math growled.

Where he first felt some sympathy for the leader of the Iron Knights, he now felt nothing but hatred. He had no doubt that he was somehow wronged by corrupt Huntsmen and so were many of the Iron Knights, but now, he could see that their crusade against them wasn't motivated by the desire to right their wrongs.

No. Their crusade was pure hatred and anger. Their actions had left Vale vulnerable, the Four Kingdoms unsure of who to trust, and thousands of families suffering from heartbreak from the loss of a loved one. Their crusade was selfish, despicable, hypocritical, and blind to the damage they caused.

" _I am not a hypocrite."_

Nachtfel was indeed that. His anger and hatred pushed him to blame everyone outside of his faction for the needless atrocities and slaughters they had committed. He had endangered innocent lives, lives he claimed suffered because of the Huntsmen's corruption. He was quick to blame the Huntsmen and their allies, but whenever questioned with his own selfish choices, he all but denied responsibility, not thinking that it was in any way his fault.

" _I am not a monster."_

If Nachtfel wasn't a monster, then what was he? Did he think of himself as a savior? Did he think of himself as someone who would free the world from corruption? He saw corruption everywhere…except in himself.

While hating him, Math was also scared of him. He was a monster, a strong monster. He had easily beaten both him and Nasser during their first encounter; during his second, he not only maimed him, but nearly killed him if Nasser hadn't intervened.

He looked at his arm, which he could finally use again ever since he had retrieved the brace from General Ironwood. It was the same hand he had used for wielding Claiomh Solais before it was lost during the Fall of Beacon, the same hand he had fought with and the same hand he had used to forge so much of his way into becoming a Huntsman.

Sadly, it was also the same hand that Nachtfel had maimed, had left the swordsman unable to use it for months effectively.

A part of him was scared to see or face Nachtfel again, despite his immense hatred for the black armored devil. Even if he forged himself new weapons, what would stop Nachtfel from beating him again as he had twice, as he had single-handedly killed his sister's entire team? Was it worth it to go up against him again?

He didn't want to be scared, but the warrior had left scars on Math physically and mentally. He wasn't sure if he was truly prepared to go back.

The arm brace had been given to him not only because Ironwood respected his courage, but because there were people out there who wanted him back on the field. The months had taken their toll on him and he wasn't completely sure of his abilities.

Suddenly, he heard movement from the forest; he looked to see an elk being chased by a lone wolf. The wolf bit down on the elk's hind leg before being kicked off, causing it to turn and tumble away.

To Math's surprise, the wolf got back up and chased after the elk again, biting down into the same area of its hind leg from before. The elk managed to shake it off once more before backing it off with its antlers.

The elk continued forward, but the wolf didn't give up, this time biting at the upper part of its leg in an effort to cripple it. Once more, the elk shook the wolf away and continued running from its attacker.

Strangely, Math couldn't take his eyes out of what was happening. No matter how many times the wolf was kicked away or threatened with its dangerous-looking antlers, it refused to quit. Even though it was alone and battered, it refused to stay down and kept on hunting the elk.

After what seemed like an eternity, several more wolves appeared and created a circle around the elk, forcing it to stand its ground. The same wolf from before kept going at it while the other wolves merely barked and ran around it.

It wasn't before long before the elk lost its nerve and ran off, causing the wolves to run after it and attack it. The very same wolf managed to jump up and latch its teeth onto the elk's throat while the other wolves bit down on different areas, ultimately bringing down their prey.

For some reason, the sight before him spoke to Math. Even alone, the wolf didn't give up, no matter how many times it was kicked away by the elk. However, when the rest of its pack arrived, they were able to bring down the larger animal.

In his mind, Math was the lone wolf, Nachtfel was the elk, and the rest of his pack were his friends and allies. He had fought Nachtfel alone and bravely, but after getting his arm maimed, he had become scared to face him again.

But like the wolf, he couldn't give up; he had to return and face the monster that had caused so much death and destruction. He couldn't face him alone, but no one said he had to; he had his friends and family to help him. Only with their help could he truly bring down the devil that was responsible for the Fall of Beacon.

"Math?" a male voice asked, revealing to be Glaucus. "The forge will be ready tomorrow. Will you?"

The swordsman looked back at the wolves taking bits out of the elk carcass that been hunted down. It was strange that such a simple sight was able to help Math regain hope in himself and strengthen his resolve to fight Nachtfel.

"I will be," he assured with a confident tone. "And I'll also be going for an emblem change." Glaucus raised his eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked. "What will your new emblem be?"

"I'll show you tomorrow," the swordsman assured.

-0-

Ruby couldn't get back to sleep that night after yet another nightmare of the Fall of Beacon. She slowly got out of her sleeping bag and started to walk away from the campsite.

She had been trying her best to keep up her cheerful façade to keep the others inspired, but she could see that they were able to see the cracks in her mask. Her heart felt like it was a weight, bringing her down every minute she was awake or putting on her fake smile. The only time it felt normal to her was when she didn't have to fake her happiness for the sake of Jaune, Ren and Nora.

None of them understood what she had been through. She had lost so much; her school, her mother, her sister, her teammates, her idealized vision of becoming a Huntress…it had all come crashing down.

They relied on her to be the spark of hope since the others were dealing with the near loss of their teammate…and Ruby was furious at them for that. To her, her own pain outweighed their own. Pyrrha had been injured, but she was alive.

Ruby had watched her dearest friend, Penny Polendina, be torn to pieces just so Cinder could make a statement. Her sister had denounced her as a naive fool just for wanting to help her recover. Her teammates were gone and she was unsure if she'd ever see them again.

She stopped and slowly leaned against a tree, doing her best not to make noise. She took out Crescent Rose and looked at some of the damage it had taken during the time after the destruction of the Academy.

"Ever since I knew about Huntresses and Huntsmen, all I wanted to do was what I felt was right," Ruby whispered. "It was so simple; kill the Grimm, lock up the bad guys and protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Now…I'm not so sure what to do anymore."

"That's what reality does to people," a womanly voice replied, startling Ruby. She activated Crescent Rose as she looked around for the source of the voice. She found it in the form of a raven-haired woman wearing a Grimm mask resembling a Nevermore.

"I'm not here to fight, though I will if you make me," she warned, gripping the handle of her blade. Ruby glared at her, feeling a bell ring in her head at her red and black attire.

"Who are you?" she questioned. "Are you with the White Fang? Cinder?"

"I've nothing to do with them," she answered as she jumped onto the ground. "You may not know me, but I know plenty about you, Ruby Rose."

Ruby's eyes widened. How could she know her name? She had a bit of a reputation, true, but it had never left Vale from what she understood. There was no way this woman could've known who she was.

"How do you know my name?" the reaper questioned.

"I'd recognize Summer's child any day," the woman responded. "I would know because I fought alongside her."

Ruby's mind went back to the day Qrow came to Beacon. He had shown them a picture of Team STRQ, comprised of their parents and uncle. She remembered the black-haired member on the photo, causing her to shout out "Raven!?" The woman removed her mask to show her red eyes and messy bangs on her face.

"So Qrow did tell Yang," she deduced. "Figures. Tai never would've told her."

Ruby was honestly at a loss for words. She was meeting Yang's biological mother for the first time, yet it felt like meeting someone completely different. She didn't carry the same presence Yang did; where her sister was warm and cheerful, this woman was cold and serious.

"I…I really have no idea what to say," Ruby asked as she lowered her weapon.

"Luckily, I do," Raven replied. "The road you're going down is a dead end."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you here?" she asked directly. Ruby was quiet for a few moments, considering what answer to give Raven.

"I came here to avenge those who died at Beacon," she answered. "Speaking of which, Yang lost her arm."

"I know," Raven answered, much to Ruby's shock.

"You know!?" she gasped. "Why haven't you gone to see her?"

"That's not why I'm here," she deflected.

"Yang spent years looking for you!" Ruby pointed out. "You knew all along and you never went to see her? Why!?"

Raven didn't give an answer, only looking away. She succeeded in hiding the conflicted look on her face, not wanting for Summer's daughter to see it.

"Raven!" Ruby called out. "Why did you abandon Yang!?" Again, no answer from her.

"I did not come here to talk about Yang," Raven bluntly responded, shocking Ruby.

"You're her mother, for crying out loud!" she stated. "How can you not care about her?"

"I said, that's not why I came here," Raven repeated. Realizing she wouldn't get an answer out of Raven, Ruby frowned at her.

"Then why are you here?" she asked her.

"To tell you the truth," Raven answered. "Ozpin used you, just like he used us."

"What are you talking about?" the reaper asked.

"I mean, he isn't the man you think he is," she clarified. "And your uncle and father are fools for following him." Ruby glared at Raven, tempted to aim her weapon at her and shoot her head off.

"Don't you dare insult my family!" she demanded. "Is that how you thought of my mother too?"

"No," Raven responded. "Your mother…" She paused for a moment, thinking about her team leader.

" _Raven, you need to open up," Summer insisted as her teammate shoved off another boy interested in her._

" _I didn't come here to make friends," Raven responded. "I'm here to be a Huntress."_

" _Well, what will you do outside of being a Huntress?" the white cloaked girl asked, much to Raven's confusion._

" _What kind of question is that?" she asked in disbelief. "This is a Huntsman Academy. What else are we supposed to learn?"_

" _Teamwork, trusting others, having faith in others," Summer stated. "There's more to being a Huntress than just fighting Grimm."_

 _Raven was silent after hearing that. Aside from Qrow and her teammates, Raven interacted with almost no one at Beacon. She'd personally work alone, but she was stuck with them for four years, especially the arrogant and flirtatious Taiyang._

" _All I'm saying is that we're a team now," Summer told her. "We need to get along. We cannot work by ourselves all the time. You're just going to have to get used to it." She then placed a hand on Raven's shoulder and offered a warm, friendly smile._

" _If you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here."_

"Your mother…was a great person," Raven reluctantly replied. "Possibly my best friend."

"Then why?" Ruby questioned. "Why would you just leave without saying a word?"

"Because Ozpin asked us to fight a war we cannot win," Raven replied. "Summer was a good friend, but she was wrong to follow him. She was a victim, just like countless others."

"Countless others?" Ruby asked, unsure of what she was talking about.

"Ozpin knew that you and your team could've met a horrible fate on your mission to Mt. Glenn," Raven explained. "He knew and he sent you anyway, just like he did to Team MRRN."

"Their mission…they told us that the Iron Knights were there," Ruby remembered. "And Professor Alan Kura was killed."

"Because Ozpin views you, your friends and even his own lieutenants as pawns," the black-haired woman continued. "All of us are pawns in his war against Salem."

"Salem?" Ruby asked, never having heard that name before. Raven scoffed at Ruby's response.

"Of course he didn't tell you," she replied in disbelief. "Salem is the one truly responsible for the destruction of Beacon. She's the one Ozpin has been at war with."

"Why…why would she be at war with Ozpin?" Ruby asked, unsure of everything Raven was saying.

"She's the master of the Grimm," Raven answered. "She wants to wipe out humanity. Ozpin wants to stop her, but he's no different or better than her, especially since he nearly got your friend killed."

"Pyrrha?" Ruby spoke, remembering how she thought Pyrrha died after being shot.

"What your friends are saying is true," Raven stated. "Ozpin forced Pyrrha to be a champion in his war, even after she said no."

"No," Ruby denied. "You can't honestly believe that."

"You don't know Ozpin like I do," Raven replied. "He may seem wise and a saint, but in reality, he's a liar and a coward who wants to defeat Salem at any cost…as long as he's not the one paying it."

"If you think we're all fools for fighting this 'Salem', then why are you here?" Ruby questioned. Raven gripped the hilt of her sword, making Ruby think she was going to attack. Instead, she swiped it downward, creating a red and black portal.

"To offer you this chance to return home," Raven replied. "If you keep going down this path, you will die a meaningless death just like countless others before you."

"And just abandon Remnant to its fate?" Ruby asked.

"Salem cannot be beaten," Raven stated. "To go up against her is suicide. I don't want you to die for Ozpin like your mother did. Now, which will it be? I will not make this offer again."

"Where will that portal take me?" the scythe user questioned.

"Home," Raven answered. "Back to your family."

Ruby was honestly divided on this. If what Raven said was true, if Salem cannot be beaten, then what was the point of going up against her? How could anyone triumph over an enemy that cannot be beaten? Had she led her friends on a crusade entirely for nothing?

On the other hand, she knew nothing of Raven and she didn't seem too trustworthy. What if she was being very cynical? Though, something worth noting was that she was offering Ruby a chance to return home showed some degree of care for her.

In the end, Ruby couldn't bring herself to abandon her friends and the mission to Haven.

"I'm not going back," she refused. Raven sighed in frustration.

"Didn't you listen to a word I said?" she asked. "This road is a dead end. Ozpin and Salem's war will kill you, just as did your mother."

That statement discouraged Ruby a little after hearing the blunt truth of her mother dying in Ozpin and Salem's war. Was Ozpin truly the source of her mother's death? Was she truly just a pawn to the Beacon Headmaster?

"No," Ruby refused again. "I won't abandon those who need me. I'm not doing this for Ozpin, I'm doing this for those who died at Beacon. You may believe that there's no way to defeat this 'Salem', but I won't give up just because you're telling me too."

Raven's face showed surprise at the strength of Ruby's resolve; despite telling her that Ozpin was a monster and that there was no way to defeat Salem, she chose to keep fighting. The swordswoman shook her head in annoyance before turning away, her portal disappearing.

"You sound just like your mother," Raven said. "If you truly want to go down this road…then don't meet the same fate as her." She opened another portal before disappearing.

"Ruby!" Jaune called out as he, Nora and Ren hurried with their weapons primed, ready for a fight. They looked just in time to see Raven disappear into her portal as it vanished.

"What…?" Jaune gasped, unsure of what just happened.

"Ruby, are you okay?" Nora asked, inspecting her for injuries. "Who was that?"

"That…" Ruby started. "Was Yang's mom."

Silence followed.

"WHAT!?" Nora, Ren and Jaune gasped.

-0-

 _Safirlas looked around to see buildings not from Vale. Instead of the twin axes and crown of her home kingdom, she instead saw a stylized lantern that she immediately recognized as the symbol of Mistral._

 _She was back at Haven Academy._

" _What?" she wondered. She looked around, wondering how she could be back when she was still in Vale._

 _She suddenly heard crackling from…flames. This unstartled her. Why would there be fires of any sort at Haven? She turned the corner to see a truly horrifying sight._

 _The White Fang, the Iron Knights and the Grimm had overrun the school. The White Fang set fire to the multiple buildings, the Iron Knights happily killing any students they could find, and the Grimm were eating the bloodied corpses that littered the ground._

" _What…what's going on!?" she gasped._

 _She suddenly stepped on someone's body, which she recognized…as her brother. Her brother was dead and she had accidentally stepped on his corpse._

 _A Raptor pounced onto her, which she blocked its jaws with Himmelkanten. Before she could get it off, two more Raptors dragged Math's body away._

" _No!" she cried out as she used one of her throwing knives to kill the Raptor that had pinned her to the ground. Before she knew it, the Grimm had started devouring Math's body, tearing it to pieces._

 _More horror filled her heart as she recognized more of the corpses: Pyrrha Nikos, Robin Kendrick, Ruo-Jian Bai Hu, Nasser Achdarr, Leonardo Lionheart…so many faces were seen, all belonging to the dead bodies surrounding her._

" _Haven has fallen!" an Iron Knight proclaimed, prompting the others to cheer as they trampled over the numerous bodies._

 _To her confusion, an item looking an awful lot like the lantern in Mistral's symbol could be seen floating in front of her. She was unsure of what it was, though it emitted bright blue mist and fog, giving her a sense that it was possibly powerful._

 _She walked forward and prepared to grab it; before she could, it was pulled away. She looked to see it in the grasp of a woman with deathly white skin, white hair that almost looked like a spider, red veins on her arms and face, and piercing red eyes._

" _What!?" she gasped in terror. The strange woman simply looked at her before pointing her finger at the spear user. After a moment, Raptors charged forward and all of them leapt onto Safirlas, preparing to tear her to pieces._

"NO!" she cried out. She woke up to find herself in her bed back at her home. She looked at her headstand to read 2:48 A.M. on her alarm clock.

It didn't feel like it was just a dream. It felt…it felt much more realistic. It was almost as if it was going to happen sometime soon.

"Math…" she mumbled under her breath, not being able to handle the thought of losing her brother as well. If he died, then…she wouldn't know what to do. Losing her team was bad enough, but the thoughts of losing her school, her brother...

Was it just a dream? Or something else entirely?

"It's not my Semblance," Safirlas spoke. "It deals with predicting opponent movements, not…not telling the future. What was that? What was that lantern? Who…who was that woman?"

 **Author's Notes: I hope you've been enjoying the MRRN series so far! If you have any constructive criticism to share, write a review or message me! Don't forget to vote on my poll! Keep reading and writing everyone!**


	10. Addressing the Issue

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 10: Addressing the Issue**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Yang looked over to the robotic arm on her nightstand. Still, she had not put it on; it was just sitting there, collecting dust. It was late at night and she didn't dare fall asleep out of fear of another nightmare.

This time, Ruo was not there to comfort her. It had been much quieter at the house without him here. She had gone too far…and it pushed him away.

" _We were barely boyfriend and girlfriend!"_

She wished she could take back what she said. She wished she had never even thought of speaking that sentence to Ruo-Jian. She didn't want to even think of how she sounded when that happened.

She got up from her bed, walked downstairs and went to the kitchen. She then grabbed a glass and then placed it under the faucet so she could fill it up with water.

"Yang?" Tai asked, having heard her come down. He leaned against the doorframe with Zwei sitting next to him, panting and wagging his tail as usual.

"It's been…much more quiet," the brawler replied before drinking her water.

"You miss him, don't you?" her father asked. Yang didn't answer; instead, she tightened her fist and felt her eyes water and her heart beat heavily. She more than missed him, she loved him.

"If he doesn't want to be here, fine," Yang replied through her teeth. "He chose to leave." She could hear her father sigh.

"Yang, you can't keep doing this," Tai insisted. "You cannot stay stuck in your depression forever. People need you."

"Well, I needed them," Yang replied. "Raven, Ruby, Ruo…I needed them and they just left. They abandoned me."

"Raven did," Tai agreed. "But Ruby and Ruo…you pushed them away."

"What?" the lilac eyed warrior spoke.

"They tried to help you, but all you did was lash out at them because you were too busy feeling sorry for yourself," Tai argued. "If you honestly think that you're not in any way responsible for them leaving…then I guess you lost some brain cells along with that arm."

Yang gasped in response, unsure of how to react to the brutal comment her father just delivered. Tai's expression, however, was one of a stern father who had lost his patience as well. He was done with Yang wallowing in her self-pity.

"What...?" she asked.

"Yang, I know you're tired of people leaving you, so you want people to stay loyal and honest to you," Tai continued. "Your anger is much more of an issue than you think it is."

"I have every right to be angry," his daughter replied. "Look at me. I lost a part of me. A piece of me is gone…and it's never coming back."

"No, it's not," he agreed. "But if your anger doesn't change, then possibly neither are Ruby and Ruo."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang barked.

"You have always had anger issues," Tai reminded her. "You've always been one to get angry when pushed and, frankly, it doesn't take that much to get you mad. Hell, you even treat your Semblance like a superpowered temper tantrum."

Yang didn't want to admit it, but her father had a point. Most of the time she used her Semblance, it was when she was angry or enraged. She'd fly into a frenzy, ruthlessly attacking her opponent until they were down on the ground.

"You think your anger is your greatest asset in a fight, but it's not," Tai continued. "Anger is a natural emotion; you shouldn't suppress it, but you cannot let it burn wild. Whenever you get angry, you don't control it. That's exactly how you lost your arm; because you acted purely out of rage and didn't think it through."

Again, it couldn't be denied. Yang merely lunged at Adam Taurus after he had pinned Blake to the ground. She was left wide open, allowing the terrorist to cleanly slice off her arm. It was the same event that had haunted her for months, all because she attacked in anger without a single strategic thought in her head.

"Your anger doesn't make people want to stay around you, it pushes them away, just like you did to Ruby and Ruo," her father went on. "To be blunt, you're acting like your mother." Yang focused on her father after hearing him mention Raven the first time to her and not to someone else.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Tai sighed.

"Your mother was a complicated person," he started. "When I first met her, she was quiet, but strong, ambitious and gave her dedication to any cause she felt was worthy fighting for. She was strong and stubborn…just like you."

"Well, I'm sorry I remind you of her," Yang callously apologized.

"Don't be," Tai replied. "I'm proud of how much of her good qualities I seen in you. But…"

"But?" Yang asked, unsure of how her father was going to proceed.

"Your mother…she was flawed like the rest of us, but it was her flaws that broke our team apart," Tai informed. "One of her biggest flaws that she developed was being unwilling to face her faults. Whenever something happened, she would blame someone else, not want to be confronted with the truth of her shortcomings. And I stood by…and let it happen."

Tai looked down, regretful of how his relationship with Raven failed. She was a strong woman, but in time, her negative qualities started to outweigh her good. Ultimately, this led not only to their love failing, but Yang being left without a mother.

"I stood by and did nothing while Raven allowed herself to change for the worse," he stated. "I'm not making that mistake again. I won't let you go down the road she went. If you do, then you'll only succeed in pushing people away."

"Dad…" Yang tried to talk.

"No!" Tai silenced. "You've been sitting in your self-pity for far too long. I know that feeling far better than anyone else, even though I should've done better. But you know how I managed to find my way back?"

"How?" Yang asked.

"I started to think about what Summer would've wanted," he replied. "She wouldn't want me to just sit and continue feeling sorry for myself when people needed me. I had to find my way back…for you, for Ruby, for Summer, for everyone." He exhaled.

"Yang, there are many people out there who need you. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Ruo…they need you. But how can you do that unless you move on from the past? You must stop blaming them. You must learn to control your temper…or the people you want to stay loyal to you won't want to."

She was now on the verge of tears, having no choice but to accept the harsh truth from her father. Her anger had led her to lash out at her sister and her boyfriend, which pushed them away from her. She was going down a road where she would permanently lose the ones she loves because she was blinded by her anger and pain.

It became harder for her to hide her sadness as she thought about Ruby and Ruo.

Ruby, her energetic and awkward yet loving sister. She had been there for her as a mother and a sister. She grew up with her, having fun at dreaming of the days they'd become Huntresses. While Yang had been motivated by her own thrill-seeking personality, Ruby was motivated purely out of a desire to help others, which she always admired about her sister.

Ruo-Jian, her calm, collected and caring boyfriend. They both knew loneliness and the pain of losing a parent at a young age, which allowed them to connect on a very personal level. She had seen the scars that his life on inflicted on him, but because of her outburst, he felt she only saw the physical ones.

The pain of them not being there finally became too much; Yang burst into tears that rolled her face, prompting Tai to quickly hug her. Yang returned the embrace as she cried into his shoulder.

It felt like an eternity before Yang finally stopped, having finally released the pain she had been keeping under her depression and anger. She looked up at her father and could see that his stern scowl had been replaced with one of concern and fatherly love.

"Yang, I'm telling you these things because you have so much potential," Tai spoke gently. "And I don't want you to go down the same wrong path your mother took."

"Is that why you were mad at Uncle Qrow?" she asked. "Because he told me about her?" Tai sighed.

"It should've been me," he responded. "But considering how it long it took, I'm honestly not surprised he told you. But now I have to; if you want Ruby and Ruo back, if you don't want to go down a road where you lose everyone you love, you know what you have to do."

He was right. If Yang was to become a better person and not lose the ones she loves, she knew what needed to be done.

She needed to control her temper.

She needed to stop blaming them for leaving her.

She needed to move on. As Ruo said, it wouldn't be easy, but for the sake of those she cared for, she needed to.

-0-

Blake sat at a table on the docks of Menagerie, overlooking the sea. It was so calm and peaceful, which was what she felt she needed right now.

She reached into her tailcoat and pulled out her scroll, going to her photos to look at the various pictures from her time at Beacon. One showed her with Ruby cheering above her with Weiss on the side with an annoyed look. The next was her, Yang and Ruby pranking Nora by drawing "I Hate Pancakes" on her face. The next showed her with Sun and Neptune at the dance, having been suggested by the Monkey Faunus.

While she was definitely appreciative of everything he had done for her, she didn't want him near her. He didn't understand what she was going through, that she felt it was her fault for Yang being maimed by Adam Taurus at the Fall of Beacon.

He had completely misinterpreted what she was doing. He thought she was going up against the White Fang in revenge for the Fall of Beacon, but that wasn't even remotely close to what she was doing. She wasn't ready to confront them, especially Adam.

"Are you okay, Blake?" Akela asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked over to see her friend with two coconut drinks and placed one in front of her.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Do you mind if I sit?" he asked.

"No," Blake replied, prompting the Wolf Faunus to sit down across from her.

"It's been years, Blake," he started. "It's really good to see you again."

"You too," she responded, smiling. "How've you been doing with Bhaal's warriors?"

"We've been doing fine," he replied. "We've monitoring the White Fang pretty close ever since you told us about what happened. I just still can't believe Adam would do something like this."

"Well, he did," Blake confirmed again. "I saw him there."

"How can he be so stupid!?" Akela growled. "Doesn't he realize that this will only make things worse for the Faunus?"

"He thinks everything he does is for the Faunus," Blake replied. "He thinks he needs to be a monster to get us the respect we deserve." Akela sighed as he drank from his coconut.

"This is Sienna Khan's fault," he stated. "Defending ourselves is one thing, but she endorsed Adam's violence; she praised him for killing people."

"And so did I," Blake solemnly said. "I supported Adam, no matter what he did. If I had stood up to him-"

"Don't, Blake," Akela silenced. "Sienna is responsible for what Adam has become. She pushed him to kill people." Blake looked down solemnly at her drink.

"I can't help but feel that way," she admitted.

"Well, that's Adam's fault," Akela stated. "He emotionally shackled you to him. He made you feel like you had to trust everything he did, going as far as guilt tripping you when you disagreed with him. I knew him too."

Blake remembered her relationship with Adam Taurus. At first, he was a fierce fighter for the rights of the Faunus; he was good-hearted, passionate and determined. But as time went on, he did start to show emotionally abusive behavior, such as guilt tripping her, trying to make her feel bad for questioning him, and isolating her from her parents. Sienna's influence hadn't just affected his views and ways on how to gain Faunus equality, but also on how he treated Blake as a person.

She had thought so many times about leaving him, but he was a symbol in the White Fang; leaving him may've done damage to her. He could've easily done something to make her appear as someone she wasn't. No matter how she viewed it, there was no way for her to get out of her abusive relationship with Adam.

"What if…Sienna comes for me?" she wondered, loudly enough for Akela to hear her.

"She won't," he assured. "Sienna may be violent, but she's not irrational. She won't risk making an enemy of Menagerie just to get one…deserter." He was hesitant to say that word, but Blake knew full well that it was true.

"Can we stop talking about the White Fang?" she asked. "I just don't need them on my mind."

"Sure," Akela complied, making Blake smile a bit. "Have you had much time with your parents?"

"Mostly my mom," Blake answered. "She's really taking to Sun; she enjoys having conversations with him."

"Sun…he's your friend, right?" the Wolf Faunus asked.

"We're…I don't really know," Blake admitted. "There've been moments when I appreciate having him around, other times, I want to stay away from him."

"He seems pretty opposite to you," Akela pointed out. "So you two have been travelling together ever since the Fall of Beacon?"

"Technically, he followed me," Blake explained. "He thought I was going after…well, you know. But I wasn't. So, he came with me here."

"I need to be blunt," Akela replied. "Has he always-?"

"He has," the Cat assured. "Sun has a good heart, but he's never been a rule follower. I lost count of how many times he was called to the Headmaster's office."

Despite their interaction, it felt awkward to the two of them. Blake and Akela hadn't seen each other in years and had no idea what else to say to each other. The Wolf Faunus kept trying to think of topics to go over, but he felt he needed to be careful.

"Do you remember when we were kids, we stole all of your mom's baked sweets?" he brought up, earning a giggle from Blake.

"Yeah," she replied. "While Bhaal was talking to her, we snuck under the table and took the entire basket. When they found out what we did, Dad was so mad."

"Well, we didn't know the sweets for a meeting," Akela justified. "I was such a genius." Blake scoffed in disbelief.

"Excuse me, 'Mr. Genius', but it was my idea," the Belladonna reminded him.

"True, true," Akela bragged. "But I pulled it off."

"Glory hound," Blake teased, making him laugh.

"Your parents really missed you," he brought up. "They're happy to see you again."

Blake's smile died a little. She didn't expect such a warm welcome from them after the way she had tossed them aside after they left the White Fang. She had thought that they'd believe she was beyond hope just like Adam.

"Thanks, Akela," Blake replied. "For just…being supportive."

" _Hello," Bhediya, a male Wolf Faunus, greeted a younger Ghira and Kali. "It's great to see you again."_

" _You as well," Ghira greeted before seeing a younger Wolf Faunus behind him. "And who are you, little one?"_

" _This is Akela, my son," Bhediya introduced before gently pushing his son forward. "Go on, say hi."_

" _Hi," he greeted before seeing a Cat Faunus behind Kali's leg._

" _Come on out, Blake," she insisted as she gently pushed her daughter forward. "This is Akela. Why don't you say hi?" Blake shyly walked forward before quietly saying 'Hi'._

" _I like your ears," Akela complimented, making Blake blush._

" _I like your tail," she reciprocated._

"You still remember the first time we met?" Akela asked Blake as they walked back to the Belladonna home.

"Like it was yesterday," the Cat responded. "I remember because you'd always try to mess with my ears."

"Well, you always tried to mess with my tail," the Wolf shot back before he reached over and pet her ear.

"Hey!" she called out, smacking her hand away and making Akela laugh. When she made sure no one was looking, she smirked and reached over to grab Akela's tail, but he moved in time.

"Hey, keep your hands off my tail!" he called out playfully.

"Come back here!" Blake shouted as she chased after Akela.

This was a happy moment for her. As she laughed and played with Akela, she forgot all the horrible moments from before she came to Menagerie. She forgot about the Fall of Beacon, her encounter with Adam, and her best friend being maimed. She needed this, even if it was for a quick moment.

Suddenly, as she turned a corner, she saw that she had lost him. She wondered where he could've gone.

"Akela?" she asked. Suddenly, she felt a force pin her to the ground as they stumbled down the grass. Akela tried to gain the upper hand, but Blake pinned him to the ground first.

"Even as adults, you still can't do it," she teased. When she noticed the position they were in, she blushed heavily before getting off of him.

"I should head home," she replied before walking back to her house.

Unknown to either of them, a pair of eyes was watching them, camouflaged thanks to their chameleon traits. She leapt out of their line of sight and opened her scroll.

"She's here in Menagerie," she informed. "Inform Adam."

-0-

Nasser lunged forward, using his Semblance to kick back a Beowulf into an Ursa. This took out both of them as they fell over a cliff, roaring as they did.

"Push forward!" Goodwitch demanded as she took out Grimm with her telekinesis, blasting them one by one.

Nasser looked back to see the state the reclaiming force was in. They were tired, barely able to keep up with Goodwitch, but the teacher was completely blind to their condition, only caring about reaching Beacon Academy.

"Dew!" Octavia called out as she was wounded by a Raptor. The knife user quickly made his way to the spear user and slammed his chained blades onto her attacker.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, helping her onto her feet.

"I'll be fine," she assured, her tone much less hostile than before the Fall of Beacon. Just then, loud rumbling was heard, alerting nearly everyone that a large Grimm was coming.

"Tyrannosaur!" Yatsu cried out as the monstrous Grimm appeared and let out a savage roar. It was the same Grimm Nasser hoped he never had to see again ever since the train battle on that mission with Alan Kura.

Luckily, it was the same one he'd know where to attack.

"Go for its underbelly!" he called out. He turned Shafarnasr into SMGs and opened fire on the Tyrannosaur, but barely seemed to do any damage. Coco unleashed her minigun on it, but only pushed it away bit by bit.

"Its armor is too strong for our guns!" Nasser warned everyone. "Aim for its underbelly!" Before they could focus fire, the Tyrannosaur swiped its tail at the Huntsmen, knocking some away into the ruins.

"Yatsu!" Coco cried out after he was hit by the tail. Nasser looked over to Goodwitch, who was fighting off hordes of Grimm without giving any thoughts to the Tyrannosaur.

"Goodwitch!" Fox called out. "We have a Tyrannosaur! We need help!"

"Then take care of it!" she replied.

"Bitch," Nasser growled as the rest of their force struggled against the heavily armored Grimm. It was keeping its head low to the ground, making sure to keep its underbelly protected from the Huntsmen.

"Coco!" he called out. "I have an idea!"

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm going to raise its head," Nasser replied. "Once I do that, give it everything you've got."

"Will do," she responded. The knife user used his Semblance to launch himself against the Tyrannosaur, which left it disoriented. He then wrapped one of his chains around the top part of the Grimm's mouth and jumped onto its head, wrapping his other chain around its mouth.

Using all he could of his Semblance, Nasser raised the Tyrannosaur's head up to expose its underbelly. Coco lifted her minigun and aimed, prepared to blow it to hell.

Before she could, a Beowulf leapt onto her, just as the Tyrannosaur regained consciousness. With one fell strike, it closed its mouth…and broke the chains connecting Nasser's knives to his gauntlets.

"NO!" he cried out at the destruction of his weapon. The Tyrannosaur then shook him off its head, throwing him into a pile of ruins.

As Nasser collected himself, he stopped when he saw the broken chains of Shafarnasr. His weapon had been destroyed in a rather reckless move to kill the Tyrannosaur. He was still trying to process the broken weapon in his hands when a Beowulf leapt on him.

Before it could sink its teeth into his face, it was impaled by a spear, belonging to Dew Gayl. She then threw the Grimm off of him and helped him up.

"You okay?" she asked.

"No," he responded, showing the broken chains of Shafarnasr. "We need to take out that Tyrannosaur!"

"Push it to the cliff!" Coco ordered as she and several other students unleashed bullet barrages on the colossal Grimm. Yatsu, having recovered, leapt forward and unleashed a brutal blow on the Tyrannosaur, pushing it off the cliff and down to the depths below.

"Let's keep moving," Goodwitch insisted as she approached the group. "We're much closer to-"

"What the hell!?" Nasser called out. "We needed your help and you just left us!"

"I had more important things to do," Goodwitch replied. "Perhaps if you were helping-"

What happened next shocked everyone.

Nasser threw his arm back and punched Goodwitch square in the face, breaking her glasses and sending her against a wall.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" he shouted. "Don't you care about us? We've been fighting for days, weeks…and all you do is keep pushing us, even when it's obvious we need time to rest."

"Beacon Academy is becoming a breeding ground for Grimm!" Goodwitch stated. "We must take it back!"

"At what cost?" Nasser demanded to know.

"At any cost!" she replied. The knife user shook his head and turned away before walking.

"What are you doing?" she questioned. "Get back here now!"

"Screw you!" Nasser barked. "I'm not getting myself killed because you're not willing to listen! This has become a plain suicide mission! We'll all die before we can reach the Academy! I'm done."

"So you're going to turn your back on us?" she asked, trying to guilt trip him. "You're going to leave while we all continue risking our lives?"

"Not all of us," Nebula stated as she helped Dew stand on her feet from the injury she suffered. "It's clear that you don't care if we all die. I won't risk my team's life anymore." Team NDGO then joined Nasser in walking away, prompting several more students to do the same.

"I forbid you to leave!" Goodwitch shouted, but to no avail. "You don't deserve to call yourselves students!"

Nasser ignored Goodwitch's words as he examined his broken weapon. In a reckless attempt to kill the Tyrannosaur, one failure had left him vulnerable and now Shafarnasr was gone. Was it truly Goodwitch's fault that his weapons were destroyed or was it because of his reckless choice?

Regardless, he was done fighting for now.


	11. Past Pains

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 11: Past Pains**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Adam sat in his room in the White Fang HQ, listening to the message he had received from Corsac and Fennec Albain.

" _Brother Adam, Sister Ilia was able to confirm that Blake Belladonna is indeed in Menagerie. We ask how you wish to proceed in extracting her."_

The punishment for desertion was death; he couldn't make any exceptions, even for the woman he once loved. But trying to get Blake now would make an enemy out of the Faunus of Kuo Kuana, especially since her father was the Chieftain and Sienna wouldn't waste resources just to get one traitor.

Adam pressed the record button and started to state his message.

"For now, we just observe," he responded. "Trying to get her now will turn Menagerie against us, especially since her family are the leaders of the Faunus there. Do nothing more unless I say." He then ended his message and sent it.

" _Blake, I'm sorry," he apologized on the roof of a building. "They didn't give us a choice."_

" _It didn't have to end with killing them," Blake brought up. "I've heard things, Adam. This wasn't the first time humans died on missions you led."_

" _Because our people were under attack," Adam stated. "No one said the road to equality was easy. Your father…" He bit his tongue after saying that. He then took off his mask, showing his branded face that Blake had seen before._

" _If we don't stand up for ourselves, then every Faunus will get this," he replied, pointing to his brand. "I can still remember getting it. How can we gain respect when we don't stand up for ourselves?"_

" _Standing up for ourselves is one thing," Blake responded. "But murdering people…I don't want our way to respect to be like this."_

" _Well, neither do I," Adam responded. "We tried it your father's way and all we did was get dirt kicked in our faces!" When he realized he had raised his voice at Blake, seeming to have scared her a little, he sighed and shook his head._

" _I'm sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I need you to have faith in me, Blake. We both want the same thing, but things will get worse before they get better. You know that."_

" _You're right," Blake agreed. "I…I trust you, Adam."_

" _Thank you," he replied before taking her hand in his. "The road to freedom won't be easy, but it'll be worth it."_

"I was so naive," he spoke to himself as he felt his branded face. "The road to freedom will be the most difficult thing we've ever done." He then turned on the screen projector and started a tape.

" _Mr. Schnee, please!" Adam's mother pleaded as she, a 10-year-old Adam and his father were on their knees, being handled by SDC security._

" _You are a thorn in our sides," a younger Jacques Schnee responded. "You animals need to learn your place."_

" _All we wanted was more Lien to support ourselves," Adam's father stated. "We weren't going to start a riot!"_

" _You're lying!" an SDC security officer shouted. "All you Faunus do is lie!"_

" _It's the truth," Adam's mother assured. "We weren't going to start violence." Jacques then slapped her across the face, knocking her to the ground._

" _You should be grateful for what I give you and the rest of your worthless species," Jacques growled. "I give you the Lien you deserve and you act so ungrateful."_

" _Ungrateful!?" Adam's father barked. "We barely make enough Lien to buy food and clothing. We barely make enough to buy Fire Dust."_

" _Well, that's your fault, not mine," Jacques callously responded. He then pulled out a revolver and loaded it with three bullets._

" _You can't kill us," Adam's father insisted. "You cannot get away with murder."_

" _Oh, yes I can," Jacques replied. "I've gotten away with it before. All I've had to show was show some Lien and the matter was non-existent." Adam's eyes widened as a possible truth struck him._

" _The White Fang didn't kill Arthur Blanco, you did," he called out. "Why?"_

" _Because his proposals for running my company didn't benefit anyone," Jacques replied. "So I had to get rid of him before he could ruin us."_

" _He wanted to lower the prices of Fire Dust," Adam's father responded. "You killed him because the plan didn't help you. But you couldn't fire him because of his popularity, so you killed him."_

" _I will do everything I can for my name," Jacques responded._

" _You're not a Schnee," Adam's father responded. "You married into the family and stole the name." Jacques aimed the revolver at his head and fired before he fell to the ground. Before Adam's mother could cry out his name, she was silenced as well with two bullets to her chest."_

" _Mom, Dad!" Adam cried out. "No!" Just then, Jacques had one of his security guards bring him a branding iron with the company logo in burning hot metal. He gestured for Adam to have his head held up and his eyes wide open._

" _You are an animal," Jacques stated with a condescending smirk. "You are property…and this will always remind you." He pushed the branding iron against Adam's face, smiling as he listened to Adam's cries of agony. This last for nearly thirty seconds before Jacques finally pulled the branding iron away, allowing Adam to fall to the ground._

" _You're a monster, Jacques Gele," he called out. Jacques's calm expression shakily changed to one of anger and rage at hearing that surname. He started beating Adam with the branding iron repeatedly while the security guards just watched. Jacques hit him again and again and again and again as he let out enraged shouts._

The footage cut to black. That tape was a brutal reminder to Adam that humanity was incapable of willingly showing them kindness.

He was done with equality; humanity would never give them that. He wanted revenge on the humans for taking his family away, for persecuting his people, for treating them like slaves. They would never show acceptance of any kind through peace.

Only by killing those who encouraged prejudice against them could they have equality. Only by having the will to kill those who harmed them could they have respect. Only by dirtying their hands with blood could they make humanity understand their message loud and clear.

They were not animals and they were done being treated as such. Adam was prepared to do anything for the good of the Faunus, even if it meant paving their road to freedom with thousands of human corpses.

-0-

"Hello, Bungo," Glaucus greeted as he, Pyrrha and Mathdon walked up to the forge. Bungo, a rather short person with curly black hair and a blacksmith apron, stopped what he was working on and lifted his goggles to show his blue eyes. He greeted them with a smile as he started wiping off the soot from his clothes.

"Glaucus!" he called out, walking up to him. "How've you been?"

"Doing well," he replied. "These are the two students I told you about. Mathdon Kendrick and-"

"Pyrrha Nikos," Bungo addressed. "It is such an honor to have you here."

"Thank you," Pyrrha replied. "Honestly, not everyone is feeling that way ever since the Fall of Beacon."

"You mean what happened to Penny?" Bungo asked. "Luckily, a good number of people have enough sense to believe you were set up by whoever hijacked everything."

" _It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours. But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never have imagined."_

Pyrrha loathed that woman, Cinder Fall. She was a devil, taking sadistic pleasure in the suffering of innocents and the massacring of good people. Worse, she took pride in it, in having set everything up, from framing Yang to tricking Pyrrha into ripping Penny to pieces.

She wanted the chance to fight her again, to end her trail of destruction once and for all.

"Pyrrha?" Math asked, breaking her from her thoughts about that evil woman.

"I'm fine," she assured. Math wasn't convinced, so he gently pulled her aside, around the corner and away from the eyes of Glaucus and Bungo.

"It's Cinder again, isn't it?" he asked. She looked down, rubbing her arm.

"Math…are you angry at me?" she asked in a genuine tone. Math raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he questioned.

"That night…when I confronted Cinder…" she specified. "I thought I could I stop her. If I hadn't…"

Math had felt conflicted ever since he learned about what Pyrrha did. On the one hand, he knew that she was doing what she felt was right and buying time until help could arrive. If she hadn't stalled Cinder, nothing would've stopped her from moving onto Vale.

On the other hand, she was reckless, going in without any kind of help. Pyrrha was strong, but Cinder has the full power of the Fall Maiden; even she didn't stand a chance against her. If she had died…Math didn't want to think that. He didn't want to imagine the many brutal and sadistic ways she could've killed her atop Beacon Tower.

From he had heard, Jaune's response to this had been very bad. He felt betrayed for what she did and they weren't able to heal their rift before they left with Ruby. A part of Math wanted to criticize her too, but he knew she had heard enough from her team leader.

" _How could you be so stupid!?" Jaune cried out as he faced Pyrrha outside the Kendrick residence, a day before Math woke up._

" _Something had to be done," she insisted, trying her best to keep her calm. "Cinder could've turned her attention to Vale. If she had, thousands of people would've suffered."_

" _Then we should've faced her as a team!" Jaune barked. "But instead, you shoved us into lockers and sent us away. Do you really have no faith in us?"_

" _Of course I do," Pyrrha answered. "I didn't want you all to die if things took a turn for the worse. I nearly died; I couldn't bear it if any of you died as well."_

" _Don't do that," Jaune snarled. "You didn't need to go up there alone. You didn't have to be so reckless."_

" _We're Huntsmen, Jaune," Pyrrha reminded him sternly. "It's our responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It's a dangerous life, but it's what we signed up for. It's what we were trained for."_

" _To be sacrificial lambs for others?" Jaune scoffed. "That wasn't bravery, that was suicide! You knew how much it could've hurt us if you died and you did it anyway! After everything I've done for you-"_

" _Everything you've done for me!?" Pyrrha barked, angered at Jaune's comment. "I've done so much for you, Jaune. I didn't turn you over to Ozpin or Goodwitch when I found out your transcripts were fake. I helped train you because you didn't do it yourself before you came to Beacon. I had faith in you when everyone else thought you were dead weight. So don't you dare say that to me!"_

" _I was your friend!" Jaune stated. "I was there for you because everyone else thought you were too good for them! I was one of your first friends!"_

" _And I appreciate everything in our friendship," Pyrrha replied. "I know you're angry, but-"_

" _Angry doesn't cover it!" Jaune shouted. "You left us! We could've helped you because you weren't strong enough to take her alone, you stupid bitch!"_

 _Pyrrha's eyes widened from Jaune's comment. Her eyes almost started to water, making Jaune realize how far he had gone. He reached out to Pyrrha, but she walked away from him, not allowing Jaune to make physical contact with her._

" _Pyrrha, I'm sorry!" he apologized. "Pyrrha, I-" She ran inside and closed the door, not allowing Jaune to finish. The Arc groaned in frustration at himself before leaving the Kendrick residence._

 _Pyrrha leaned against the wall and felt tears run down her face._

"Jaune was just angry," Math reminded her. "I'm sure the next time you see him, you two can patch things up…though he's lucky I wasn't awake when that happened. I would've put his ass in the ground for saying that."

"I'd prefer if you didn't," Pyrrha replied.

"But Jaune had a point," the autistic swordsman agreed. "We can't be reckless like that. All it'd do is make more casualties."

"I know, but…" Pyrrha tried to talk, but couldn't finish. Math gently pulled her in for a hug and she rested her head into his shoulder.

"We need to be ready if we see her again," Math replied. "You don't have to fight these battles alone. I thought I could against Nachtfel…and look what happened to me." He gestured to his arm in the brace from Atlas, which was working very well for him.

"We're in this together and we can defeat them…together," the swordsman assured. Pyrrha nodded her head in compliance and kissed him before moving his hand so it was over her left breast.

"This is where you belong," she whispered. "This is where you'll always be…in my heart." Math smiled before bringing her back inside to present their weapon designs.

Pyrrha's new weapons on her scroll were a spear-rifle hybrid and a large hoplon shield. The bronze and red weapon reached a length of two meters overall with one foot-length spearhead on one end and a shorter one on the other around seven inches. Her shield was around three inches wider than her old one, giving her more protection without the need to compromise her mobility.

Her new armor included shoulder guards, a breastplate with both bronze and leather, covering Pyrrha's entire torso unlike her old corset, greaves that went up to her knees with leggings that went to her thighs, a longer skirt that reached her thighs, bracers, and high heel boots. The center of attention was the new emblem on Pyrrha's breastplate and shield; a spear facing upward with a flying angel wing on each side. Another was Pyrrha's new headpiece appeared like a circlet with an angel wing on each side.

"Love the new emblem," Math complimented, making Pyrrha blush.

"This shouldn't be too hard to make," Bungo stated. "What about you, Mr. Kendrick?" Math pulled out his scroll to show the designs for his new weapons.

They were much more plain than his old ones; a broadsword with a three foot long, three inch wide blade and a foot long hilt including a pommel that resembled a howling wolf. The crossguard on his weapon also included was somewhat longer than Claiomh Solais's, reaching about four inches on each side of the blade.

His shield was round like Dionach, but unlike it, it would not retract. Instead, he designed it to be thrown like a boomerang that could be immediately brought back to him by a receiver gauntlet. It lacked Math's old bear symbol and instead had his new one adorned on it; a calm yet fierce looking wolf with a sword and shield behind its face.

"Well, I've had more difficult orders," Bungo replied. "Let me go over these tonight to make sure I have the proper materials."

"But I thought Glaucus said your forge would be available today," Math brought up.

"It is, but considering what has been happening, I may need to get more metals before we can forge these," Bungi explained. "If I don't have enough, we'll have to start all over again."

"We understand," Pyrrha replied. "If you need to order more materials, how long will it take?"

"Only a few days," Bungo answered assuredly. "My supplier lives in the Agricultural District, so I won't have to wait weeks like other blacksmiths."

"The sooner we can get started, the better," Math replied. "Let us know when we can get started."

"Will do," Bungo ensured before as he downloaded the designs into his own scroll. Glaucus, Mathdon and Pyrrha then left the forge to return to his home. As they did, Pyrrha held onto Math's hand and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and allowing him to guide her.

They were more than ready to return to becoming warriors. First, they had to make their new weapons. After that, they'd need to train to get back into fighting shape.

Only then would they be ready to reunite with their friends and confront those responsible for the Fall of Beacon.

-0-

Robin went over to the fridge to get himself some orange juice, pouring himself a glass before putting the container back in the fridge. He then looked outside to see a storm coming with strong winds and dark clouds, feeling sorry for anyone who had lost their homes from the tragedy months ago.

He turned on the TV to catch up on the local news as he ate some chicken wings.

" _This is Lisa Lavender from VNN. Tonight, Atlas on lockdown! General James Ironwood, who has retained all of his positions despite many demanding his resignation, has proposed a measure that has left the Kingdoms outraged: the closing of Atlas's borders. He delivered this speech earlier today."_

" _My name is General James Ironwood and I have proposed closing Atlas's borders. Tensions have not calmed at all ever since the Fall of Beacon. We had hoped the Dust Embargo would help, but clearly, it may not be enough. The Council has not come to a decision yet, but I strongly believe that within two months' time, Atlas will officially close its borders."_

" _This was met with negative criticism from members of the other Councils. Lan Se Tiankong, member of the Mistral Council, delivered this statement after General Ironwood's speech."_

" _Closing Atlas's borders? At a time like this? The other kingdoms are already suffering enough with the Dust Embargo. So instead of realizing his mistake, General Ironwood makes another. That man should've been stripped of his rank the minute he returned to Atlas."_

A knock on the door broke Robin's attention away from the news. He activated his glasses to ensure that it wasn't Iron Knights; to his surprise, it was Ruo-Jian. He raised an eyebrow in confusion before walking to the door and opening it to see his White Tiger Faunus teammate.

"Ruo?" he asked.

"Hey, Robin," he greeted. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Robin replied, allowing the Faunus entry into his home.

"I like your mustaches," the archer complimented his facial hair that went down to his chin, next to his pointed beard.

"Where'd you get those?" Ruo asked, gesturing to his glasses.

"General Ironwood sent them," he answered. "It's so good to be able to see again." His smile died when he saw the rather solemn scowl on his teammate's face.

"I thought you were on Patch," the archer brought up. "You said you wanted to help Yang recover."

Ruo sighed as he sat down on the couch as Robin sat on the chair. The Faunus foolishly hoped he wouldn't ask, but he should've known better.

"Yang just wants to waste away," Ruo replied. "She received a prosthetic from Ironwood and didn't try it on. When I pushed her to do it, we…we fell out, so I left."

"You fell out?" Robin asked, curious.

"Yang lashed out at me and she refused to listen," the Faunus explained. "Even when she was presented with a way to go back to her life as a Huntress, she still chose to mope. If she wants to waste away, feeling sorry for herself, then I'm not staying any longer."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the archer expressed his sympathy.

"Thanks," Ruo responded. "How're Math and Nasser?"

"Math and Pyrrha got braces from Ironwood that are allowing them to move fluently again," Robin informed. "Nasser's been with Goodwitch to try and retake Beacon. Sadly, from what we've heard, she's losing it."

"Losing it?" the Faunus asked, unsure if he was talking about the same Goodwitch they knew.

"She's becoming irrational, ecstatic, blind to reason," Robin explained. "She only cares about retaking Beacon; she refuses to hear anything other than the mission to reclaim the Academy."

"The Academy is lost," Ruo stated. "The Grimm are probably multiplying by the day."

"She keeps insisting they need to retake Beacon," Robin said. "I don't know why it's so important, but she won't stop until Beacon is freed from the Grimm."

"Surely, Nasser will leave soon," Ruo responded. "He's never been one to behave well around people who throw nonsense around."

"Who's this?" Anrydd asked as he walked down the stairs. Robin and Ruo stood up to look at the archer's father.

"Dad, this is Ruo-Jian, my teammate and partner," he explained. "Ruo, this is my Dad."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kendrick," the Faunus replied as he walked up to Anrydd and shook his hand.

"What am I, old?" he chuckled. "You can call me Anrydd." He then turned his attention to his younger son, silently asking for an answer to the question of why Ruo was here.

"He left Patch because things didn't go so well with Yang," Robin answered. "He needs a place to stay."

"Well, of course he can stay here," Anrydd warmly welcomed before turning to Ruo. "We have a guest room in the second floor. You're welcome to stay there."

"Thank you," Ruo responded.

"Robin, can you show him where it is?" Anrydd asked. Robin nodded his head and led the Faunus to the guest room, comprised of a simple large bed, a nightstand and easy access to the bathroom.

"So," Robin started. "Are you and Yang…broken up?"

Ruo didn't want to answer that question. He knew most likely that things were over between him and the blonde brawler. He had stated that it wasn't a see-you-later, it was a goodbye.

"We're done," the Faunus asked, his voice monotone to hide his hurt heart.

"Oh, man," Robin responded, putting a hand on his teammate's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know she meant a lot to you-"

"Can we stop talking about her?" the Faunus asked. "I'm tired."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Robin complied. "We got plenty of food in case you want anything."

"I'm not hungry right now," Ruo responded before laying on his bed. "I just need some time to myself."

"Yeah, I get it," Robin assured as he left the room.

He felt concern for his teammate as he walked down the stairs. He never would've thought he'd see Ruo so soon; he was definitely happy to see him again, but not in this state.

Whatever truly happened between him and Yang seemed to have taken a toll on Ruo. He wasn't being himself, but for now, Robin was just going to leave him alone. He hoped that given enough time, Ruo would open up to him about how bad it was so he could help him.

 **Author's Notes: I want to extend a personal message to all aspiring writers:**

 **Writing isn't easy, but I think it's worth it. You may be rusty at first, but it doesn't mean you won't improve; it just means you have a lot to learn. It doesn't matter what people say about your works; there'll be some people who'll hate it and others who'll enjoy it.**

 **Some of them may call you a horrible writer, but I have my own definition of a horrible writer: one who stays stuck in their ways, react all offended when presented with constructive criticism, and refuse to change their writing even when it's pointed out to be legitimately in need of improvement.**

 **For all you aspiring writers, you all have the talent to write great books, make great characters and tell amazing stories that many people will love. There will always be someone who'll trash your work; ignore them and don't let them tell you that you have no talent.**

 **Keep writing, listen to constructive criticism and share your stories. Then you can say "I was brave enough to put my story where everyone can see it". That's more than what can be said for many other people.**

 **Have faith in yourselves because they are bound to be others who do as well! Continue reading, my fellow writers!**


	12. Unlucky Encounter

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 12: Unlucky Encounter**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

 **Author's Notes: I posted a new poll on my page. It asks for how many stars you'd give the MRRN series so far. I'd really appreciate the feedback.**

Ever since that night, Ruby had been unable to shake what she had heard from Raven. She was surprised that Yang's mother would appear before her and offer her a chance to return home to Patch.

She claimed that Ozpin was a monster who destroyed lives for the sake of his war with someone named Salem. He had used her team and MRRN as expendable pawns by allowing her to go to Mt. Glenn and sending MRRN up north. She also claimed that it was his cowardice and selfishness that robbed her of her mother, Summer Rose.

Ruby was very unsure of how to feel about this, especially since she didn't know Raven at all. One thing she had picked up was that whenever she asked why she abandoned Yang, she'd refuse to answer. Why? Did she not care for Yang? Then again, if she didn't care at all, she never would've offered her the chance to return home.

She didn't want to believe that the man that had allowed her entrance into Beacon two years was the villain Raven painted him as. She knew Ozpin was mysterious, but was he truly what she said he was?

"You okay, Ruby?" Jaune asked the reaper, noticing the happy mask she was wearing was cracking bit by bit.

"She said something about…Ozpin…" she answered, earning a foul scowl from Jaune, Ren and Nora.

"He forced something on Pyrrha," Ren stated. "I don't know what it was, but he forced it. She said it herself."

"Did she say what exactly?" Ruby asked. The three members of JNR looked at each other, then back at Jaune.

After his argument with Pyrrha, the two of them didn't talk, even when Nora and Ren were around. He explained what happened and, while they did agree that what Pyrrha did was reckless, his reaction was very poor. If she ever said what exactly happened, he wasn't present.

"Does this look like a good place to camp tonight?" Ruby asked.

"Well, the buildings don't look very stable and there are no watchtowers for us to keep watch," Jaune pointed out. "Plus, we don't know if this place has a lot of negativity like Mt. Glenn. We'd need-" Ren held up his hand, requesting silence from his team leader.

"What is it?" Nora asked. When everyone saw Ren reached for StormFlower, it prompted everyone to pull out their own weapons.

"Circle up!" Jaune ordered. "Don't let them catch us by surprise." Everyone backed into a circle, looking around for what Ren had sensed. Ruby aimed Crescent Rose up and down, ready to shoot whoever was threatening them.

"Hello!" a creepy voice addressed. Everyone looked up to see a black-haired man with a long braid standing on the rooftop of the building Nora was facing. He looked at them with a creepy smile and waving his hand before activating his weapon, which looked like scorpion pincers.

Before they could say anything else, the man lunged into the group, kicking Ren away and slashing at Ruby, depleting her Aura a bit. Jaune swung at him, but missed as the attacker kicked the blade aside and leapt onto his shield. He then took a closer look at the Arc, confusing the young man. Nora tried to land a hit on him; he leapt on her hammer and impacted into a tall building.

"What do you want!?" Ruby shouted. "We're not looking for a fight!" The man simply smiled and leapt in front of the group.

"Who are you?" Jaune questioned.

"Who I am doesn't matter to you," he said as he pointed at Ren. "Or her or…" He paused before addressing Jaune.

"Well, you do interest me," he replied, confusing the Arc even more. The man simply laughed and cackled before turning his attention to you.

"I only matter…to you," he stated, pointing his finger at Ruby.

"Me?" she asked. The man simply smiled before bursting into another fit of laughter.

"Well, you're creepy," Nora commented.

"You really have no idea, do you?" he asked. "This must be truly exciting." Ruby glared at the man.

"You work for Salem, don't you?" she questioned. The man gasped before chuckling.

"So you do know," he giggled. "I had no idea Qrow told you about Her Grace." Ruby raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant when he mentioned Qrow. But she had to save it for later; this man was obviously a threat and needed to be handled.

"What do you want?" the scythe user questioned.

"Oh ho ho ho," the man chuckled. "The rose has thorns. Why, I'm here to whisk you away with me."

"And if she refuses?" Nora challenged.

"Simple," the man responded. "I'll take her." Jaune stepped in front of his two teammates.

"Whoever you are and whatever you want, get lost," he demanded. "You are not taking Ruby with you." The man exhaled before showing another creepy smile and saying "Good."

He lunged at Jaune, knocking him into Nora. Ren slashed at the attacker, but he easily deflected his blows and kicked him into the ground. Nora recovered and brought her hammer down on him, but he rushed aside and slashed at Ruby, who charged at him. The scythe user was kicked aside and landed against a building.

"Why don't you just give up?" the man insisted. "I only have orders to retrieve you, not to kill your friends. I'd be willing to let them live…if you-" Jaune slashed at the attacker, hoping to take him by surprise, but he locked the blade in with his gauntlet blades and twisted it out of Jaune's hands, followed by kicking up, hitting his chin and knocking him on the ground.

He charged at Nora next, but reacted in time just to see a Lightning round miss him and hit the hammer user instead. He looked back to see Ruby, having been the one to fire the shot.

"Well, that's ironic," the attacker cackled before he saw a smirk on Ruby's face. He heard lightning crackle before Nora leapt at him and swung her hammer once more.

BOOM!

Everyone covered their eyes to protect them from the dust of the impact. They hoped their plan had worked, but instead saw the man using a scorpion tail to stop Magnhild from hitting him.

"Surprise!" he taunted before kicking Nora away and shedding his coat, revealing himself as a Faunus.

"He's…a Faunus?" Ren questioned.

"What does Salem want with me?" Ruby demanded. "What do I have that is so-?"

" _You have…silver eyes."_

That quote Ozpin said clicked in her mind. Was she being hunted for her eyes? Maybe she had done at Beacon had painted a target on her back.

"I think you already know," the Scorpion Faunus replied. "But if you don't…too bad." He then lunged back into the fight, easily beating everyone.

No one was able to land a hit on him; he was too quick and making use of all his limbs to keep everyone at bay. He focused most of his efforts on Ruby, able to deplete her Aura in moments. When she was finally down, the Scorpion towered over, his stinger prepped.

"No!" Jaune cried out as he swung at him again, but was quickly thwarted when the attacker wrapped his tail around Jaune's neck and throwing him against the wall.

"Time to go!" he sang before knocking Ruby out and slinging her over his shoulder. He waved to the wounded Nora and Ren before leaping away.

An impact stopped him, knocking him down to the ground and losing Ruby. The cause: Qrow Branwen, who gently placed his niece on the ground.

"Well, well, well," the Faunus cackled. "Qrow Branwen. A true Huntsman and follower of Ozpin." The veteran scythe user narrowed his eyes at the Scorpion Faunus, his weapon ready.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want with my niece?" he demanded to know.

"Why, I'm Tyrian," he finally gave his name. "First, it doesn't matter what I want. All that matters is that I fulfill my responsibility to the Queen."

"Salem," Qrow spoke.

"I'm surprised you told her," Tyrian informed, much to Qrow's confusion. "You know she really wasn't ready, right?"

Hearing that Ruby knew about Salem surprised Qrow. He had never told her anything and he was certain Ozpin never did either. They had no reason to tell her before the Fall of Beacon.

" _You're not the only one keeping tabs on that girl."_

Raven. She must've told her in an effort to discourage her from venturing to Haven.

"Stay away from her," Qrow stated.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Tyrian replied. "After all, one does not upset the Queen." Qrow primed Harbinger for the fight, prepared to defend his niece.

"No words?" Tyrian asked before shrugging. "Okay." He lunged at Qrow, blocking his attacks before retaliating with a swift swing of his blade. The scythe user focused his attacks on creating distance between them and Ruby as much as possible, knocking him against the building.

Qrow looked back to see a recovered Ren and Nora carry Jaune and Ruby to the next portion of the village, much to his relief. He was able to block Tyrian's quick attack and blast him with the shotgun barrels of Harbinger. The Scorpion Faunus was sent flying into the building as his purple Aura shimmered.

As the fight between Qrow and Tyrian went on, Ruby started to regain consciousness, waking up to the sounds of blades clashing. She looked around to see Ren gently putting Jaune down against the wall of a building they were in and Nora had gone over to check on their team leader.

"What's going on?" she asked, immediately alerting Nora and Ren.

"Ruby!" Nora cried out. "You're ok!"

"I am," she assured as she slowly got onto her feet. "What happened? Is he gone?"

"Your uncle showed up and stopped him from taking you," Ren answered.

"Uncle Qrow!?" she gasped. There was a loud blast; Ruby was about to go and look, but Nora stopped her.

"Don't," she insisted. "That crazy guy's after you."

"That doesn't mean I'm just going to sit back and do nothing," the red hooded girl responded as she looked outside to see the fight between her uncle and the Scorpion Faunus continue.

"Where's Crescent Rose?" she asked.

"We didn't have time to get it," Ren answered. Ruby was about to use her Semblance to hurry to it, but she remembered that her Aura was depleted during the fight.

"There you are!" Tyrian giggled. He leapt onto Qrow's blade and rushed to grab Ruby, but to his misfortune, a piece of the building fell onto him, trapping him under the rubble.

"What's going on, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked. "Why is this guy after me?"

"Get out of here," he insisted as Tyrian broke free.

"The only place she's going is with me," he stated. Nora swung her hammer at him, but he dodged the attack and backflipped away. The hammer user brought her weapon down on him and he blocked it with his tail before twirling his feet to kick her away.

Qrow slashed at Tyrian once more, making sure that his attacks led the Faunus away from his niece. Nora was about to attack Tyrian again, but Qrow knocked him away.

"Don't come closer," he warned. "Get out of here now."

Unknown to Qrow, Ruby was rushing to retrieve her weapon and rejoin the fight. She refused to just stand aside and do nothing while her uncle fought the man who was trying to kidnap her.

At the same time, there were many questions going through her head right now. Why were her Silver Eyes so important? Why didn't Qrow explain the significance of them to her before she left for Haven? Who was this Salem person truly?

What was all this?

She picked up Crescent Rose and launched herself onto the rooftop of the nearest building. She then leapt across them so she could view Qrow and Tyrian's battle, hoping to snipe the Faunus. Unfortunately, they were moving too quickly for her to get a clear shot, frustrating her.

"Come on, come on," she grunted. She saw the tide turn when Tyrian disarmed her uncle and slashed at him multiple times with his blades and stinger. She finally took the shot and landed a hit on the Scorpion Faunus. With him distracted, Qrow was given the perfect opportunity to retrieve Harbinger and continue his fight with Tyrian. When she was given the chance, she rushed forward and slashed at Tyrian once more.

"Well, well," he chuckled. "You're certainly a feisty one."

"Ruby, you need to stay out of this," Qrow warned.

"This is my fight too," she replied.

"It's not that," her mentor stated. "It's-" In a quick flash of movement, Tyrian knocked Ruby to the ground and managed to slash Qrow with his stinger.

In that moment, all time stopped for those three. Ruby stared in horror at the wound inflicted on her uncle, the same man who had taught her to use a scythe. Qrow was in shock that Tyrian had managed to land such a blow on him in a flash of movement that he was unable to stop. Tyrian smiled in sadistic glee at the pain of the two fighters, one of which he had wounded.

Ruby's shocked expression turned to one of anger as she hooked Tyrian's tail onto Crescent Rose's blade and cut it off. The Faunus immediately cried out and bawled in pain as his stinger laid on the ground, severed from him.

"You bitch!" he cried out.

"Get lost!" Nora told him as she fired several grenades at him, forcing him to flee as his Aura was already down.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby called as she rushed to her uncle's side and examined his wound.

"Who was that?" Nora asked as she and Ren hurried to Qrow, followed by Jaune.

"Who is Salem?" Ruby asked. "Why would she want me?" As soon as Jaune saw him, his scowl turned sour.

"You've got some explaining to do," he stated.

-0-

"Are you ready for another sparring match?" Dearg asked as he grabbed his bow.

"Sure am," Robin replied as he grabbed Sharp Shot and reached for his quiver.

"Leave your arrows," Dearg instructed. "We're working solely on close combat today."

"Hey, my combat skills have improved," Robin bragged.

"But they're not as good as your archery," Dearg pointed out. "I watched clips from your fights in the Vytal Tournament. You were very dependent on outsmarting your enemy and keeping them at a distance. Sometimes, you won't be able to use either; you'll have to defend yourself from up close."

"I don't think you're giving me enough credit," the younger archer spoke. "I am very agile, so I can take care of myself in tight situations."

"But you go down in just a few hits," the older archer reminded. "You have a lot of speed and agility, but you lack durability. What happens if you run out of arrows and the enemy doesn't fall for your tricks? You'll need to improve your combat skills."

"Okay, okay," Robin responded. "Let's go." The two of them exited the back door to walk down the hill where they often trained. It was pretty quiet, but Dearg knew something was up with his little brother.

"Are you worried about Ruo?" he asked.

"A bit," Robin admitted. "It's like he's lost his will to fight. All he really thinks about is…Yang."

"Yang?" Dearg asked. "Isn't that the member from RWBY with the blonde hair?"

"That's her," the younger archer confirmed. "He had been on Patch for these last months, trying to help her move past her depression. She received a prosthetic like I did, but she's not using it. The two of them got into an argument and fell out, so he left."

"Well, I hope she can find her way back just like we did," Dearg replied, showing a hopeful expression.

It wasn't much longer before the two of them finally reached the training ground and prepped their weapons. Robin kept Sharp Shot in its bow form, but Dearg switched his bow to its broadsword form, prompting Robin to do the same.

Dearg slashed at Robin, but he dodged the attack by leaping over him and slashing at his brother, damaging his red Aura. Dearg recovered in time to bring his sword down on Robin, who blocked it with Sharp Shot.

"Don't be over reliant on agility," he instructed. "It won't serve you well in tight spot areas, like corridors or elevators. You never know when or where you're going to fight."

Robin slid his sword away and slashed at his brother once more, who deflected the attack and struck Robin's legs, knocking him to the ground. Robin was about to reach for an arrow, but remembered that he had left them at the house.

"See?" Dearg pointed out. "You won't always have arrows to rely on." He certainly had a point, that's for sure.

The two of them kept trading blows with one another for a good several minutes, but ended when Dearg landed a powerful attack on Robin, depleting his Aura.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Robin assured as he stumbled, but found his footing.

"You're improving, but you're not there yet," Dearg responded as he wiped the sweat off his face.

"Hey, I managed to land several hits on you," Robin reminded him. The older brother pulled out his scroll to examine his Aura, which was at 67%.

"You cannot just focus on light attacks so you can stay agile," Dearg insisted. "You did land several hits on me, but I'm only at 67%."

"Seriously?" the younger archer asked with surprise in his tone.

"By focusing so much on speed and not putting your strength forward, you land only light attacks that do nothing but dwindle down your opponent's Aura little by little," Dearg explained. "Sometimes, you can't just play around with your foes. You have to deal damage to them then and there. What if they have armor that's too powerful for your arrows? You need to focus your Aura on attacks instead of just dodging them."

"Yeah," Robin acknowledged as he felt his lenses.

Even though they had given him the ability to see again, it didn't feel the same without his old eyes, the same ones he wished he had never lost. Emerald got him good…real good. Not only did she get rid of a very vital part for a marksman, but he had also lost his Semblance since they were directly connected to his eyes.

"I wish I had never lost them," Robin said. "Don't get me wrong; I'm grateful for what General Ironwood did, but…" he sighed.

"I know," Dearg replied. "But that was before. This is now. Now, you need to focus on improving yourself."

"Yeah," Robin agreed as he prepped his sword. "Ready for another match?" Dearg smirked and prepared his broadsword.

"Bring it," he replied.

-0-

A knock was heard at the Belladonna residence. Blake walked to the door and opened it to see Sun being held by the collar of his shirt by a Faunus as big as her father. His head was bald, his beard was big and bushy, he looked old and grizzled and his Faunus traits were bear claws on his hands, which he used to hold Sun up.

"Second time this week," Bhaal responded. "Next time, I'm putting him in jail."

"Come on, man," Sun replied. "It was just one apple."

"Thank you, Bhaal," Blake replied, her frustration aimed at the Monkey Faunus. Bhaal dropped him onto his feet and walked away towards the town, leaving Blake and Sun alone.

"It wasn't a big deal," Sun insisted. "Why does everyone-?"

SLAP!

"Ow!" Sun cried out after Blake slapped him.

"How many times do we have to go over this?" she asked angrily. "This isn't Vacuo. You don't get to do whatever you want."

"It was just one apple," Sun repeated. "I don't know why it's such a big deal."

"It's not okay to steal," Blake stated. "It's wrong, regardless if you can afford it or not."

"Again?" Ghira asked as he approached the two of them, his scowl of disapproval burning down at the Monkey Faunus.

"Bhaal caught you stealing…again," Blake stated. "I know you're not big on rules, Sun, but that doesn't mean there aren't consequences when you break them."

"Exactly," Ghira agreed. "Ever since you've come here, you've been caught stealing five times now. This has to stop."

"Mr. Belladonna, there were just fruits," Sun spoke. "They were replaceable."

"I don't care," Ghira responded. "This has to end because we have bigger things to worry about." Blake walked inside and Ghira followed her; Sun was about to do so too, but Blake's father held up his hand, stopping him.

"Find somewhere else to stay," he demanded before closing the doors on him.

Blake walked into the kitchen, where she saw Kali preparing some tea, just the kind her daughter loved. She poured a cup before holding it out for Blake to take, sensing she was already there. Her daughter walked forward, gently took the cup and sipped it.

"Thanks, Mom," she said.

"Of course," Kali replied. "So, what happened?"

"Bhaal caught Sun stealing again," Blake answered, hints of frustration and annoyance in her voice. "I don't hate him, but I certainly hate his kleptomania. It's getting old and it needs to stop."

While she disapproved of Sun's trouble making habits, she had a soft spot for him. After she had ran away, he stayed by her side that entire time until she finally opened up to him about her past in the White Fang and why she left. Despite his flaws, he was a good-hearted person who could be counted on at any time to help them.

Just then, it struck Blake; Sun was nowhere to be seen. When she was about to go and find him, hoping he wasn't starting trouble again, she saw her father walk into the main room.

"Where's Sun?" she asked.

"I kicked him out," Ghira answered, much to Blake's surprise. "Blake, I know he's your friend, but considering his tendency for breaking rules and acting like nothing bad happened, I don't feel comfortable having him in my home."

Blake wanted to speak out against this, but her father had a point; Sun was a rule breaker and had done nothing to change it. It wasn't getting through to him that his kleptomania needed to stop because of how much trouble it often landed him in. Ghira were already worried about the White Fang; he didn't need to be worried about having to constantly watch Sun and stop him from landing in trouble.

"Now, I need to look into some reports Bhaal delivered to me earlier," Ghira stated. "Hopefully, it's nothing serious." He walked off to his study to go over Bhaal's reports on the White Fang.

"You know, he can make time for you," Kali told Blake.

"I just don't want to distract him," she replied. "He has a lot on his plate."

"He's never too busy to spend time with you," her mother assured. "It's been years. Perhaps it'd do you some good."

"I just…" Blake tried to talk, but couldn't finish her sentence.

"Blake?" Kali asked.

"I'm going to go find Sun," she responded. "Make sure he finds a good place to stay." She walked out of the house and down the steps to find that Sun had already left.

How could her parents welcome her back with such open arms? She had chosen the violence of the White Fang over them, Adam Taurus over them. She had left them the day they left the White Fang after Sienna Khan became the new leader. She became entangled in their violence and terrorism, wanting respect and equality for the Faunus.

She felt a tear roll down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. She felt that she also deserved to be kicked out, not just Sun.


	13. More Questions, Less Answers

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 13: Less Answers, More Questions**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Safirlas hadn't been able to shake that dream out of her head ever since she had it. She saw so much death, so much destruction…and the horrifying part was of how real it felt, too real to ignore.

She was in the backyard, using Himmelkanten for the first time in months, twirling and stabbing to sharpen her rusty spear and martial arts skills. She had the entire space to herself since Mathdon and Pyrrha had gone to the blacksmith to start forging their new weapons and armor.

"It's good to see you using your spear again," Corcra warmly stated as she stood at the back door.

"Hey, Mom," she greeted as she didn't stop. "You weren't call in today?"

"Iron Knight activity has really gone down," Corcra informed. "We've been beating them back. I think we may be done with them."

"Why's that?" Saf asked, planting her spear on the ground.

"There have been rumors that the Iron Knights are leaving Vale," she stated. "But that doesn't mean we can let out guard down just yet, especially since we won't be getting any help from Atlas."

"I thought General Ironwood would be more than willing to help us," Safirlas commented.

"That's what I thought too," Corcra replied with a sour expression. "But I watched the news recently. General Ironwood is proposing closing Atlas's borders."

"What?" Saf gasped. "You can't be serious."

"I wish I was joking, Saf," Corcra responded. "But I'm not. First, the Dust Embargo, now the closing of borders. I get that Ironwood's trying to be cautious, but all this is doing is telling the other kingdoms that Atlas is indeed responsible for what happened to Beacon. The Vale Council is already at odds with Atlas representatives."

"Do you think this situation will get worse?" Saf asked.

"I certainly hope not," Corcra answered. "But the way things are going and with Ironwood refusing to have any audiences or conferences with any of the Councils, I think that's what is going to happen." She then walked over to her daughter before putting her hand on Himmelkanten.

"I'm very happy to see you training again," she said warmly. She kissed her daughter's head and then walked back inside.

Tired from her training, Safirlas walked back inside, placed her spear on the wall of her room and crawled into her bed. She set a timer for 45 minutes to wake her up and set the volume to max. Once she was set, she started the timer and dozed off for a quick nap.

 _Instead of peace, she found herself in the ruins of Beacon. She raised an eyebrow in reply, unsure of what was going on. There were no Grimm, no one present at all. She looked around until she saw Professor Goodwitch along with the Huntsmen and students who were helping her to reclaim Beacon._

 _The professor had her hand stretched out, reaching for what appeared to look like a crown, levitating in mid air and glowing…just like the lantern from her previous dream; this time, instead of blue mist, it glowed with green light._

" _What is this?" Safirlas wondered as she walked forward to touch the crown. Just before she could, gunfire was heard. She shot her head back to the group, seeing them under fire by black fog beings wearing Iron Knight armor. About half of the group was killed while they rest were enveloped in a black fog that surrounded them. When the fog disappeared, so did the surviving warriors._

" _What!?" Saf gasped. The crown disappeared from sight and a frightened Goodwitch quickly looked around for it, blind to the fact that the group had gone missing._

 _Suddenly, wires lashed out from the darkness, tying the professor up. Safirlas looked over to see a man with wires attached to gauntlets, walking up to Goodwitch with a sadistic smile. He then proceeded to wrap one of his wires around Goodwitch's neck and watch as she writhed in pain as she was choking._

 _After what appeared for eternity, Goodwitch finally gasped before dying and her body was thrown to the ground to be devoured by the Grimm._

Saf woke up, breathing and gasping heavily from the dream. She looked over at her scroll to check the timer, which had 36 minutes remaining.

"That was Goodwitch," she whispered as she recollected herself and calmed down. "What was that crown?"

This was getting very disturbing for Safirlas. First, the dream about Haven had pushed her into training herself. She didn't want to see her brother dead when she could do something to prevent his death if she can.

To have a second dream like that, to see Goodwitch killed and many of her force captured by the Iron Knights…she was worrying deeply. Could these be real? If so, how were they happening? Why was she having these dreams?

There was the possibility that her Semblance was evolving, but she wasn't sure. Her Semblance focused on predicting an enemy's thoughts of attack, not prediction overall.

"What is this?" she wondered with fear, having no idea what it could mean.

-0-

"Really?" Qrow asked after he sipped from his flask, sitting around a campfire with Team RNJR. "None of you have any questions?"

"Of course we have questions," Jaune sharply replied. "It's just…a lot to take in."

"Yeah," Qrow complied as he leaned forward. "That was my reaction too."

"Let me guess: Ozpin told you this?" Ruby asked. The members of JNR tensed up after hearing that name, knowing that he had done something to their teammate.

"Yeah," the veteran Huntsman confirmed.

"Why are the Maidens so important?" Nora asked. "Why does Salem want them?"

"Well, before I answer that, I have a question of my own for my niece," Qrow spoke, turning his attention to the scythe user. "How did you know about Salem?"

"I ran into Raven," Ruby answered. Qrow put his flask back in his shirt, his suspicions confirmed. Raven had indeed informed Ruby about Salem, but he didn't know what else she had told her.

"She spoke very badly about Ozpin," Ruby continued. "Whenever I asked her why she abandoned Yang, she refused to answer. She offered to teleport me back home, but I refused. She…she talked about my mom."

"Is Raven really Yang's mom?" Ren asked, unsure of the woman Ruby had encountered.

"She is," Qrow confirmed. "She left Yang after she was born and returned to our home: the Branwen Bandit Tribe. Under her leadership, they've become infamous for ruthless and quick attacks, usually against villages with no Huntsmen. She's preachy about morals, but in reality, she's just a huge liar."

"Bandits?" Jaune asked. "Were the ones responsible for Shion?"

"They were," Qrow again confirmed. "They attacked them, raided them and left them at the mercy of the Grimm. She believes in survival of the fittest, so she has no sympathy or mercy for those she deems weak."

"Wow," Nora spoke. "She's a bitch."

"Back to the whole Maiden thing," Jaune interrupted, tabling the discussion. "Why are they so important?"

"They're powerful," the drunkard answered. "Anyone selfish who knows enough about them will often seek them out, hoping to take their power for themselves."

"And there's always four?" Ren asked.

"Always," Qrow answered.

"So when the current Maiden dies, the power goes to a female?" Nora brought up. "Someone who was close to them?"

"Whoever was in their thoughts last, to be precise," Qrow corrected. "Ever since I started helping Ozpin, it's usually been my job to find them, along with Raven's. But since she left, it's been all up to me."

"We saw a girl," Jaune brought up. "The night the tower fell…we saw a girl in a capsule. Was she one of the Maidens?"

"Amber, the previous Fall Maiden," Qrow answered. "She was attacked. The assailant, who we now know as Cinder, somehow managed to steal half of her power. We placed her in that capsule to keep her alive, but we thought that if we didn't do anything about it, the rest of that power would go to Cinder."

"What does Pyrrha have to do with it?" Nora questioned.

"We asked her to take the remaining powers," Qrow answered. "Ozpin felt that she was our best candidate, considering how she is."

"And you forced it on her," Jaune snarled.

"We didn't force anything," Qrow denied. This statement caused Nora to rise up with her fists clenched tightly and giving Qrow a very dangerous glare, warning him not to lie to them.

"You weren't there," she growled. "We saw Ozpin knock her unconscious and then take her down there! She even admitted that he forced it on her! So don't lie to us!"

Qrow was honestly taken back by this information. He knew Ozpin had considered forcing the powers on Pyrrha, but he didn't think he'd actually do it. He didn't want to imagine that one of his dearest friends was capable of doing something like this.

"Did you support this?" Ruby questioned her uncle.

"Oz had considered it, but I didn't think he meant it," the veteran replied.

"That's not answering our question," Jaune sharply scolded. "Did you-?"

"Of course not," Qrow interrupted. "I supported ASKING Pyrrha to take the Maiden powers, not FORCE her to take them. Are you absolutely certain that Ozpin did this?"

"Without a doubt," Nora sternly responded. "Do you have any idea how much it traumatized her!?"

"Nora!" Ren called out to calm her. The hammer user glared at the scythe user again before sitting down before Jaune stepped up and walked away from the fire.

"That guy, Tyrian…he said Salem wanted me," Ruby asked. "Why? Was it because of my eyes?" Qrow sighed.

"You definitely painted a target on your back after what you did at Beacon," Qrow answered. "I told you having silver eyes is an extremely rare trait."

"That's all you said," Ruby stated. "You didn't say that there was someone out there who wanted me dead for having them."

"That's why I've been following you," Qrow continued. "So I can keep an eye on you…all of you." Ruby raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why didn't you just tell us this?" the red hooded girl questioned. "Why not travel with us? It probably would've been much easier."

"Because he was using you as bait," Jaune coldly stated. Ruby looked over at her uncle with disbelief and suspicion. Her expression changed from uncertainty to controlled anger.

"Uncle Qrow, tell me what he just said isn't true," she demanded.

"I wouldn't put it like that," Qrow replied. "It's…complicated."

"Complicated?" Ruby questioned. "Why didn't you tell me that there was someone out there who's after me? You knew Tyrian was going to attack me?" Qrow sighed, followed by silence, which frustrated the red leader of RWBY.

"Qrow…" she addressed.

"I knew she was going to come after you," he admitted. "That's why I'm here."

"What is all this?" Jaune questioned. "Why are the Academies being targeted? Why does this Salem want to destroy us?"

"Can you sit down first?" Qrow asked. Jaune crossed his arms and stood where he was. Qrow sighed in frustration.

"There are dozens of gods out there," the scythe user stated. "Some have been around for centuries, others forgotten. But if you believe Ozpin, two of them are real."

"Who are they?" Ruby asked. Qrow started to explain.

"Brothers. The older brother, the God of Light, used his powers to create life, such as animals, nature and living things. The younger brother, the God of Darkness, loved using his own powers to create destructive forces, such as fire, famine and disasters. For centuries, every day, the God of Light would bless Remnant with gifts of life; at night, the God of Darkness would rid Remnant of it with his destruction. One night, he unleashed a creation that shared his innate desire to destroy anything and everything."

"The creatures of Grimm," Ruby deduced.

"Yes. The older brother finally had enough and stated that their feud couldn't go on forever. He proposed making a creation that they could both be proud of, one that would share both their ideals; the younger brother agreed. They created a being based on four ideals; Creation, Destruction, Choice and Knowledge. They had the ability to create life, to destroy life, to learn from the world around them, and to choose which path to take. That creation…was humanity."

"What does that have to do with the Huntsmen Academies?" Ren asked. "Why would Salem want to destroy them?"

"Well, that's the kicker. Those four ideals aren't just metaphorical; each of them take a physical form that was left by the Gods before they abandoned Remnant. When Ozpin's predecessors built the schools, they served two purposes: training the best warriors in Remnant and guarding the Relics. Not only would they be out of sight from humanity so they couldn't be used as weapons of war, but they'd also be constantly guarded by skilled warriors."

"Is that what Salem is after?" Ruby questioned.

"Yes," Qrow answered. "She's after the Relics."

"How exactly are the Relics accessed?" Jaune asked. "I take it you can't just walk up and take it."

"Well, that's what the Maidens are for," the veteran scythe user answered. "The Maidens are the only ones who can access them. They're locked in a chamber that can only be opened by a specific Maiden; Winter for Creation, Summer for Destruction, Fall for Choice and Spring for Knowledge."

This truth horrified Team RNJR. Cinder had the Fall Maiden's power. That could mean that the Relic was just within her reach, but Qrow didn't seem at all phased by this.

"Cinder has the Fall Maiden's power," Ruby brought up. "Doesn't that mean she can access the Relic of Choice?"

"No," Qrow stated. "The Maidens are the keys to the Relics, but the vaults that hold them…only the Headmasters can access them."

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"Each of the Headmasters carry an item in their possession that acts as a key to the vaults containing the Relics," Qrow explained further. "Unless you have both the Maiden and the Headmaster's key, accessing the Relic is impossible. Salem didn't know that at first, but she does now."

"How?" Ruby asked. "How could she know this?"

"One of our members, Valkoin, betrayed us," Qrow stated. "He ran from Ozpin and eventually allied himself with Salem. There's no way he would've left out the fact about the Headmaster's Keys, so I have it with me." He reached behind him and pulled out Ozpin's cane.

"His cane?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah," the veteran confirmed. "Ozpin always had it on him. He never let it out of his sight." He then placed it back.

"What will happen if Salem gets her hands on all four?" Nora asked.

"Each of the Relics are extremely powerful," Qrow went on. "Whoever controls all four Relics can change the world…in whatever way they want. If Salem gets all four…then we're screwed."

Silence followed after that. They knew the truth now. This wasn't just the act of some people wanting to become powerful, it was the act of a being who wanted to destroy humanity. This Salem sounded utterly terrifying and dangerous, showing no remorse for casualties on either side.

"If this all true, why doesn't the world know?" Jaune questioned. "Shouldn't we get a message to Haven!?"

"Professor Lionheart saw what happened to Beacon," Qrow replied. "He'll be on his guard. Besides, do you really think that they planned the attack on Beacon overnight? Preparing for assaults like that take time and planning."

"But they have the White Fang and the Iron Knights on their side," Ruby pointed out. "Maybe it didn't take as long as we thought. We can't underestimate them, not after all that."

"And we won't," Qrow assured before turning to Jaune. "To answer your question, it's the same reason why we keep quiet about the Maidens. If the whole world knew about all of this, there's no telling of what could happen. We'd be facing the possibility of another Great War. Would you be prepared to fight it?" Jaune looked away from the drunkard.

"When I asked Ozpin the same questions, he put his foot down and always said the same thing: 'We can't cause a panic'," Qrow informed.

"So that puts him at a disadvantage," Jaune pointed out, his voice souring when he thought about his former Headmaster. "Salem can do whatever she wants, but…he has to be careful."

"Exactly," Qrow replied. "Salem works from the shadows, using others to carry out her missions, like Cinder and Nachtfel. That way, when it comes to point the blame, we can only do so to each other."

"Like they're doing to Atlas," Ruby brought up. "Mercury and Emerald recorded footage of the AKs attacking people."

"Yeah," Qrow agreed. "Salem's ultimate goal is to divide us. As long as we stand divided, our chances of standing against her grow slim."

"You wanted me to go to Haven," Ruby deduced. "You left that hint because you knew I'd go. Why did you want me involved in all of this?"

"Well, the truth is, we were going to recruit all three of your teams," Qrow answered. "RWBY, JNPR and MRRN."

"You were planning to recruit us from the start?" Ren asked.

"After your graduation," Qrow added. "Ozpin-"

"Can you stop mentioning him?" Jaune sharply interrupted. Nora and Ren shared his desire for the name 'Ozpin' to cease for tonight. They already had more than enough enmity towards him after what he forced on Pyrrha.

"Oz…how are you going to explain this?" Qrow asked himself. "Did you really do it?" He stood up from the log he was sitting and stretched.

"It's time we got some sleep," he considered. "It's late and we'll need to get an early start tomorrow."

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby addressed, standing up as well.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I came all this way to get justice for those who died at Beacon, including Penny and Velvet," Ruby started. "I trusted you…but why can't you trust me? Why didn't you tell me this before I left home? Why didn't you just travel with us?"

"It's not about trust," Qrow claimed. "It's about my Semblance."

"Semblance?" Jaune asked. Qrow sighed as he thought about one of the major parts of his self-loathing, the reason why no one he loved would ever be safe around him.

"Crows have always been a sign of bad luck," he explained before kneeling and poking at the campfire. "Many Semblances allow strength, speed, enhancements in combat…mine are none of those. Mine is something…I can't control; I don't do anything, it's just always there…whether I like it or not." He exhaled once more.

"I bring misfortune. A bad luck charm would describe me perfectly. Comes in real handy when I'm up against an enemy…but it also makes it very hard on friends and family."

"So your Semblance doesn't discriminate against who it affects?" Ruby asked, her tone showing her concern for her uncle.

"It affects everyone, friend or foe," Qrow answered. "That's why I followed you from a distance. If I traveled with you the entire way…it could've been much, much worse."

"Well, you're just a real bundle of help and joy, aren't you?" Jaune insulted. He felt something hard hit his head, knocking him to the ground. He recovered to see that Ruby had thrown a spare log at his head for his insensitive comment.

Ruby could understand why he, Nora and Ren were hesitant to trust Qrow: the man he helped had forced Pyrrha to accept Maiden powers after she refused. That decision had traumatized their teammate emotionally and needed time to recover from it as well as he injury.

But Qrow stated that he was against forcing it on Pyrrha, which she believed. She knew that he'd never do anything to hurt innocent people; rather, he did what he could to prevent it from happening. He kept his distance because of his double-bladed Semblance, which would've affected their enemies and them.

"I'll see you in the morning," Qrow said before walking away from the campfire to lean against a tree.

"How's your injury?" Ruby asked.

"I'll be fine," he assured. "Shouldn't be anything serious."

When they all went to sleep, Ruby stayed awake, processing everything she had learned today. They were up against a being that wanted to divide and destroy humanity. She had learned that her Silver Eyes had made her a target by this being. This wasn't just a quest for justice and vengeance…it was a war to determine the fate of Remnant.

-0-

"Anything else?" Ruadh asked as he, Forest and Sterling sat around their own campfire.

"There's still no indication of where they plan to attack next," Forest replied. "Are they being tightlipped about it or are we just looking at the picture wrong?"

"There's no way we could be wrong about this," Sterling insisted. "The Iron Knights want to destroy the Huntsmen…and only those Academies train them. Destroy them and there will be no one to train Huntsmen and Huntresses."

"They don't want to just stop more from being made," Forest corrected. "They want to wipe out anyone who is, was, or wants to be a Huntsman. Their goal is wipe them complete from Remnant's history."

"Then they're very short-sighted," Sterling added. "How can anyone think it's a good idea to wipe out the defenders of our Kingdoms? Yes, some of them are corrupt and use their talents for their own benefits, but this…this can lead to nothing but death and destruction."

"Hate can do horrible things to people," Forest responded. "Look at the White Fang; if anything, they're motivated by their hatred for how humanity has treated them. Whatever happened to these Iron Knights was enough for them to let their goal be guided by anger and hate."

"And makes it full of bullshit," Ruadh commented.

"Yes," Forest agreed. "There are three Academies remaining and I strongly believe that one of them is their next target. We need to find out what they're planning or we won't be there when they attack. Beacon has fallen and Salem could be close to obtaining the Relic since she has the Fall Maiden on her side, but as long as she doesn't have Ozpin's cane, she'll never find it. That's one bit of solace we have at the moment."

"How do you think Math is doing?" Sterling asked, changing the topic. "Glaucus told us that Ironwood sent him an arm brace so he can train again."

Forest took joy in hearing that. He had come close to believing that Math's days as a Huntsman were over due to the irreparable damage in his arm. Luckily, Ironwood had enough respect for him to give him a way to return to that life. From what he had heard from Glaucus, Math was on his way to resuming his training, along with Pyrrha and Robin.

"I'm happy to hear that," Forest responded. "I…I hope that he doesn't get involved in this, though."

"He may, considering all that's happened," Ruadh brought up as he polishes his axe.

"If he does, then I'll be there for him and his team," the eagle assured. "Ozpin had no right to drag him or any of them into this. But we need to stay focused on the task at hand."

"Which is finding out where the Iron Knights plan to attack next," Ruadh stated. "We will find out."

"We must," Forest responded.


	14. New Weapons

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 14: New Weapons**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Nasser sat in his home, tired from the fighting to retake Beacon. For once, he was having peace and quiet instead of the constant clashing of weapons against the Grimm that had overrun the school. He was enjoying his mother's famous jambalaya at the family table, taking the sweet relief from the months having to endure Goodwitch's behavior.

"Hey," Ezther greeted. Nasser looked over and gave a weak smile.

"Hey," he replied. She took out a necklace of seashells from her pocket and held them to him.

"I made this for you," she stated. "I hope you like it." Nasser was never a necklace person or a seashell person, but there was no way he could turn down his sister's gifts. He wouldn't be a jerk to her as their brother had secretly been.

"Thanks," he replied as he took it.

"Where's Shafarnasr?" she asked, noticing that he didn't have his weapon any longer.

"I lost it at Beacon," he answered. "I got reckless and they broke."

"Are you going to make new ones?" she asked.

"Maybe," he sighed. "But not right now. I…I just need a break."

"Ezther," Nasser's mom addressed. "I need to talk with Nasser. Do you mind leaving the room for a little bit?"

"Okay, mama," she responded before leaving to go her room. She sat down at the table and placed her hand on her son's shoulder.

"I found out about Cassim," she replied, making Nasser's eyes widen. "Is it true?"

"Yeah," he reluctantly admitted. "I was going to tell you, but…since he died, I…" He exhaled before putting his head on the table.

"I just can't believe everything he did," he stated. "Everything he said was a lie. All he wanted was a way to make more money for himself, even if we were the ones paying the price so he could roll around in it."

"Do you plan on heading back to help retake Beacon?" Ritsika asked. "Or maybe we could send you to one of the other Academies."

"We wouldn't have the money to get me there, other than Shade," Nasser replied, raising his head. "Besides, I haven't checked in with my teammates. I can't just turn my back on them and leave. Even if I did, I don't have a weapon."

"You could," Ritsika suggested, much to Nasser's confusion.

"I don't have the money or resources to make another weapon," the former knife user stated.

"Your father…wanted to give something to your brother, but since they're both gone…" She stood up from her seat and gestured for her son to follow her. She led him to her bedroom and to the closet. There, she reached under her drawers and pulled out a large brown box.

"What is that?" he asked. Ritsika lifted the lid and pulled back paper to show new weapons; an axe-shotgun hybrid and a square shield that appeared to have a function of sorts.

"Your father made these before he died," she explained. "I was going to give them to you, but I decided not to since you already made Shafarnasr. However, since they're gone…" She brought the box over to her bed and placed it down, allowing Nasser to fully view it.

The first weapon had a large axe blade underneath the shotgun barrel, perfect for chopping into anything. It was a great length and weight to be held with either one hand or two hands. The square shield covered up his forearm, appearing more as an offensive weapon rather than defensive. The handle had two buttons on it, making Nasser wonder what they were for.

He pressed the first one and the center of the shield pushed out like a drill, delivering a powerful blow. It made Nasser stumble back a little due to the force of the attack, but he was able to quickly recover.

The second one made the side edges of the shield burst out in all four direction, similar to a radial attack. Unlike the first attack, this one didn't make Nasser stumble back from its force.

He then held up the axe with his free hand. To his amazement, it had an excellent balance that gave him great swinging power and the ability to hold it with one hand without straining him. He swung it a few times, but because of it being a weapon he was unfamiliar with, he didn't recover it efficiently.

"You had these?" he asked Ritsika.

"Your father had these made for Cassim at first, but after he died and then…" Her voice sounded conflicted. She wanted to give Cassim a second chance to reunite with their family, but instead, he betrayed their trust and tried to sell them out for money. She felt stupid for blindly giving her eldest son a second chance; if that explosion hadn't happened, odds are they'd be on the streets.

"Thanks, mom," Nasser replied. "I'll definitely need to train with these before I'm ready."

"Then perhaps we can find a way to get you to one of the other Academies," Ritsika suggested. "It's what your father would want."

"We don't have the money to send me to either Atlas or Haven," Nasser pointed out. "The only Academy I could go to is Shade…and I don't know how my teammates would feel about going, considering Vacuo's reputation."

"I thought you said you wanted to go back to Vacuo," Ritsika brought up.

She had a point. Nasser had wanted to go back for a very long time, not wanting to leave behind his friends there. He had voiced going back ever since, but ultimately went to Beacon instead of Shade.

That worked out for the best. He had gained many friends during his time there. Mathdon Kendrick, his team leader and a good-hearted and straightforward swordsman who always had his teammates' backs. Robin Kendrick, a cocky and vain, yet intelligent and understanding archer who often looked on the bright side. Ruo-Jian Bai Hu, a White Tiger Faunus who wanted to do what he felt was right for himself and others.

To just say they were his teammates was an understatement to him; they were his brothers. Each of them had strengths and weaknesses just like him, but he had grown accustomed to them and even went as far as to reveal their hurtful pasts of abuse, betrayal, and heartbreak.

"My teammates…they're my brothers," Nasser stated. "I wanted to go back to Vacuo…but now, not without them at my side."

"They really mean that much to you?" Ritsika asked.

"Yeah," he responded. "But first, I need to train with these new weapons." He pecked his mom's cheek and headed towards the door. He stopped before turning back and looking at her.

"Thanks, Mom," he replied before heading out to start training with his new axe, Hafashahn, and shield, Lildifae.

-0-

Math beat the steel with the hammer, forging out the blade he wanted for his new sword. The wolf features were a little more difficult, so it was being left to Bungo and Glaucus.

These past two weeks of forging their weapons had been long and tiresome for Mathdon and Pyrrha, but it felt good to be on their way to resuming their training as Huntsmen. They had made some slight alterations to their original designs, such as Math adding a wolf head crossguard that gave the appearance of the wolf holding the blade in its mouth. For Pyrrha, she had etched angel wings onto the blades of her spear, appearing as if they were flying.

The blades of Pyrrha's new spear were done; now she was working on the shaft and alternate rifle mode of her weapon. As she was doing so, Math gave her a bottled water, seeing her sweat from the work.

"Thank you, darling," she spoke with a smile.

"Have you decided on the names for your weapons?" Math asked.

"For my spear, Ekdikeo," Pyrrha answered. "For my hoplon, Agapas."

"Ekdikeo and Agapas?" Math asked.

"They're words from an ancient Mistrali language," she answered. "The word 'avenge' was actually made from Ekdikeo, meaning 'to protect', 'to do justice'. And Agapas means 'to love'." She looked over at the design of her shield and Math caught onto the significance of the names.

"What about yours?" she asked.

"For my sword, Dochas-Mhadaidh," he answered. "For my shield, Torrach."

"What do those words mean?" she asked, curious.

"Dochas-Mhadaidh is a very old term for 'Hope of the Wolf'," Math answered. "Do you remember when I said I saw that wolf chasing down an elk?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Oddly enough…I learned from it," he stated with a chuckle.

"So that's why you changed your emblem?" Pyrrha asked.

"Exactly," the swordsman answered. "For Torrach, it means 'Whirlwind'. I'm going to adjust my shield so I can throw it like you do."

"When we're done, I can show you how," Pyrrha offered. Math smiled and placed his hand on Pyrrha's torso.

"Thanks," he replied before kissing her. "I should get back to it. I hope to get the blade of my sword done today." He then walked back over to finish the blade of his weapon, ready to quench it today and hope everything went well. He took some tongs, picked it up and placed it in the quench tank.

He pulled it out…

"WHOO!" he cheered. No cracks, no warps, no delamination's, nothing showing any kind of damage. What made him even happier was the Sharktooth Damascus pattern that appeared on his blade, which had come out as good as he hoped.

He then proceeded to sharpen the edges of the blade and would test it on fruit every fifteen minutes. After six tries, he finally had the edge he wanted.

The next day, Math got started on his shield and Pyrrha finished up Ekdikeo. Math had hoped to get a receiver gauntlet to attract his shield back, but he wasn't able to get one. Instead, he was able to ask Bungo to make a magnetic gauntlet that would attract the shield back to him.

The first few tries had…less than favorable outcomes. The first try, it attracted every bit of metal to Math and he nearly got his head split open by a hammer. The second time, all metal repelled from him. After adjusting on the fourth try, Math was finally able to use his gauntlet effectively.

Math and Glaucus worked on the handle of Dochas-Mhadaidh while Bungo helped Pyrrha with her armor. While Pyrrha worked on her circlet, Bungo worked on her breastplate, carving the emblem into it.

When Math's sword and shield were done, he took them outside and swung them around. The blade was a great balance, allowing him to use it one handed so he could put the shield in his other or two handed for stronger attacks. He used his gauntlet on Torrach, allowing him to magnetically bring it back to him.

After that, Math was done, resuming his training at home in their front yard while Pyrrha went to finish up her armor. On the last day she was going to finish, she asked Math to come with her.

"Is she finishing her armor today?" the swordsman asked as he and Glaucus stood outside Bungo's shop.

"She is," the Gray Wanderer confirmed. The door opened and Pyrrha walked out in her armor. Instead of her usual ponytail, she wore most of her hair in a braid over her shoulder. She held Ekdikeo in her right hand and Agapas in her left, going beautifully with her outfit.

The part that really got Math's attention was her new circlet. The angel wings swept upward and away on both sides, which looked stunning and fittingly on the redhead Amazon.

"Well?" she asked, blushing faintly. "What do you think, Math?" Glaucus bumped Math's shoulder, which snapped him back to reality.

"You look amazing, Pyrrha," Math complimented. "That armor looks really great. It came out great."

"Thank you," she replied. "You're looking good yourself."

Math's new outfit was comprised of a green jacket with a symmetrical hook closure, long sleeves, brown leather epaulets, a v-neck collar and brown linings. The rest of it included gray khakis, a black belt and black boots that were completely laced up. The final piece was Math's new wolf emblem on the front of his jacket, painted in brown.

After that, the two trained together every day, getting used to their new weapons since they lacked features from their old ones; Dochas-Mhadaidh lacked the shotgun feature Claiomh Solais possessed and Ekdikeo lacked the xiphos mode Miló had. Math's only means of ranged attacks now were using his Aura Swords and throwing Torrach, which he was still learning from Pyrrha. The Amazon, on the other hand, only had a spear to rely on now, but with blades at both ends of her weapon, she was still very effective.

Later that night, Pyrrha sat on the front porch, not being able to get to sleep. Again, the haunting words from the murderous devil rang in her mind.

" _It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours. But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never have imagined."_

"It wasn't yours, either!" Pyrrha snarled, clenching her fist. Cinder stole those powers by maiming and killing an innocent girl for her own selfish desires. The way the she-devil acted, behaving all superior and above judgment, infuriated the redhead even more.

"Pyrrha?" Math addressed, walking out in his sleepwear with shoes on. He sat on the hanging bench next to Pyrrha and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I want to fight her again," she informed him. "I want to make that monster pay for she's done. Those Maiden powers…she only has them because she maimed and murdered an innocent girl."

"Hopefully, we'll get our chance again," Math responded. "But you don't have to do it alone. Cinder and Nachtfel are all our problem, not just our own. We both saw what happened when we try to take them on alone; my arm was injured and so was your ankle."

"Yes," she agreed. She moved around so she was sitting on Math's lap, snuggling her head into his neck.

"I can't wait to introduce you to my family," she whispered. "They'll love you. Before you ask, they won't judge you for your Asperger's. My mom, my brother, my sister…they'll all love you."

"What's it like in Argus?" the swordsman asked, holding Pyrrha close to him.

"It's a very beautiful and friendly city," she started. "It tends to snow there a lot, considering it's on the northern coast of Anima, but it's a very thriving city. It's the primary trading center between Anima and Solitas. The first attempts by Mistral to colonize the area didn't do so well, but with help from Mantle, they eventually managed to make Argus. The Atlas Military base is there to help keep trade between the two nations steady, but also help keep peace between us. We did have a year of bad tensions though."

"What do you mean?" Math asked.

"Three years ago, the Commander of the Atlas Military in Argus, Caroline Cordovin, actively tried to put Argus under the rule of the Atlas Military," the Amazon answered.

"Like a dictatorship?" the swordsman asked.

"Similar to that, but more so under the rule of Atlas itself," Pyrrha continued. "Things almost got violent until General Ironwood arrived and stopped a war before it happened. Cordovin was demoted and a new commander was chosen. Ever since then, things have been more steady between Argus and Atlas."

"How do you think the Dust Embargo is affecting Argus?" Math asked, giving a small kiss to Pyrrha's cheek.

"My mother told me that Argus was angry about the Embargo," she answered. "To make matters worse, Atlas will be closing their borders."

"What?" Math gasped. "They're actually doing it?"

"I don't know what's going on with the General, but he's acting very paranoid," Pyrrha stated. "He's going to let the other kingdoms suffer and keep all of Atlas's resources to themselves. If Cinder comes for Atlas, then they'll have no allies to support them."

"Especially since your mother told us that some Atlas people openly mocked Vale for what happened," Math snarled. "How can people honestly poke fun at this? People died that night. I swear, the people of Atlas are just so selfish…well, except Weiss. Do you think she's doing okay up there?"

"I don't think so," she replied. "Her father's infamous for his corrupt practices of the company and using PR to cover them up. She's been suffering for his father's actions for years."

"Then I hope she finds a way to turn things around for the company," Math responded. "Should we head inside?"

"I'd like that," she replied. The two of them walked back into the house, towards the living room where the two of them laid down on the couch together. As Math pulled the blanket over them, they felt a weight jump onto the both of them.

"What the-?" He turned on his Scroll light to see Siocled on top of them and then plop down with a snort. She rested her head on Math's right shoulder while Pyrrha rested on his left.

"You're really okay with Siocled sleeping with us?" he asked.

"I don't mind," Pyrrha spoke before falling asleep. Math sighed.

"Easy for you to say," he whispered. "You're not the one being slept on by both your lover and your dog."

-0-

Cinder threw another wave of fire at the Grimm attacking her, splitting them in half. She then threw a fireball at another Grimm, burning through them like butter. After throwing another attack, she fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

"I thought you said you were the girl who wanted the power of the Four Maidens," Salem brought up as she commanded the Grimm to back away. "Did you lie to me?"

Cinder looked away from Salem, feeling her disappointment burn on her. She hadn't recovered much, but she was still trying her best to make progress. She had become more accustomed to her powers, but she knew that because of her weakened state, she wasn't using them at their fullest potential.

"Answer me!" Salem demanded, frightening Cinder. She looked over to the Grimm Queen and shook her head.

"I want to hear you say it," Salem demanded. Cinder gasped a few times before saying in a very raspy voice "No."

"Then stop holding back," the Grimm Queen instructed. "You must not be afraid to use your powers to their fullest potential if you wish to master it. Just because you're powerful doesn't mean you're invincible."

Cinder hated hearing that. She wanted to be strong, to be feared…to be someone that no one could equal. To her, that meant being invincible, which she could only achieve by taking the powers of all Four Maidens.

"Like it or not, even if you take all four powers, you will still be vulnerable," Salem stated. "Ruby will learn to use her Silver Eyes. If she does learn to harness that power, then you must learn to protect yours. All it takes is a moment of overconfidence to give her the advantage. Do you understand?" Cinder nodded her head; as they made eye contact, Salem could see a lot of anger and resentment in Cinder's amber eyes.

"You're still angry in my decision to keep Ruby alive," she deduced. "But whether you like it or not is not my concern. If you try to kill Ruby…" Salem extended her arm and clenched her fist, causing Cinder to feel immense pain in her left arm, causing her to gasp and breath heavily in pain.

"Do not forget that it was I who gave you the ability to steal the Maidens' powers," the Grimm Queen reminded. Just then, the Seer Grimm floated into the room with a voice asking _'Your Grace'._ Salem walked forward and approached the Grimm before waving her hand to clear the red fog to reveal Valkoin Viisaus.

"Hello, Valkoin," she greeted. "Do you have something to report?"

" _Yes,"_ he assured. _"Goodwitch is losing the support of her allies. She has become erratic, irrational, blind to reason-"_

"My orders were for you to kill her," Salem interrupted. "Why hasn't that been done?"

" _It will be,"_ Valkoin assured, indirectly avoiding the question. _"I'm arranging to ambush them. But before I launched the ambush, I needed to know if you had heard anything about Ozpin's cane. It's our only way to find the Relic."_

"I've heard nothing from anyone about it," Salem answered. "Ozpin would've only left it with one of his lieutenants."

" _That leaves only four people: Ironwood, Goodwitch, Qrow or Glaucus,"_ Valkoin deduced. _"I'll see if Goodwitch knows where the cane is before I kill her."_

"You intend to torture her?" she asked.

" _Yes,"_ Valkoin replied with pleasure. _"If I can get her to tell us where the cane is, then the Relic will be all ours."_

"Do what you must," Salem responded. "But before you leave Vale, I want Goodwitch dead. Understand?"

" _Of course, Your Grace,"_ he responded before the red fog clouded his image. Right after, the door to the hall opened and closed. They heard a whimpering voice that belonged to Tyrian as he wallowed his way to Salem.

"She'll forgive you…I'm sorry…" he wept as he crawled. Salem immediately noticed that Tyrian's stinger was nowhere to be seen.

"Why, Tyrian," she addressed. "What happened to your tail?" He knelt before her and looked up with regret in his eyes.

"That silver-eyed bitch…she took it from me," he growled.

"Speaking of which, were you successful in your task?" she questioned.

"N…no," he reluctantly answered. "They got away." Salem frowned as she walked past the Scorpion Faunus to walk down the hallway.

"But it's not a complete failure," Tyrian tried to assure. "I poisoned Qrow Branwen. He won't cause us anymore trouble. Are you…have I pleased you, Your Grace?"

"You're certain Qrow is dead?" she asked.

"I didn't see him die, but they're too far from Mistral," Tyrian assured. "They won't make it in time on foot. The poison will kill him before they get there."

"The last eye is blinded," Salem remarked. "Did you see Ozpin's cane on him?"

"Ozpin's cane?" Tyrian repeated, then scratched his head for a few moments, but it didn't ring a bell.

"I never saw it," he claimed. "Either he was hiding it or he doesn't have it." Salem kept walking away.

"Your Grace, have I pleased you?" Tyrian asked once more. Salem stopped and turned around to look at the Faunus with her blood red eyes.

"No," she coldly replied. "You've disappointed me."

Something snapped in Tyrian as tears started to roll down his cheeks. He fell to his hands and knees and wept before suddenly hearing an Ursa behind him. He let out a cry and pounced on the creature, then started stabbing it over and over again.

His cries of anguish turned into sadistic laughter and cheers of relief as his grief turned into violent sadism. Cinder's eyes widened at this sight, wondering just how insane he was.

This was reinforced when Tyrian kept stabbing into the floor, even though the Grimm evaporated. He acted as if he was still stabbing and slashing at the dark creature, ignoring the sounds of his blades hitting the floor.

From afar, Salem could hear the cries of her henchman and already made plans to give him a new tail. She was smart, smart enough not to get rid of those who were still very useful to her. Considering his blind loyalty and willingness to do whatever she pleased, Tyrian was very useful.

 **Author's Notes: I based Math's new outfit off of Bucky's from Infinity War with color changes. If you were confused during the forging scenes, look up Damascus Steel Patterns and defects in blades and such. I hope you're enjoying the MRRN series so far. If you wish to give constructive criticism, then write a review or message me! Keep on reading!**


	15. Confronting the Pain

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 15: Confronting the Pain**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Blake stood on the porch of her family's house. She had made sure Sun had found a suitable place to stay since her father was tired of his thieving antics. While she didn't want to see him kicked out, she understood her father's choice.

Sun was a kleptomaniac, a rule-breaker, and had no qualms about taking what was not his, a driving force of the conflict between him and Nasser back at Beacon. No matter what Sun was told, no matter how he was punished and not matter who he angered, he wouldn't change his ways.

She didn't want to think negatively about him because she knew that he was a good-hearted person. The first time she ran off after accidentally ousting herself as a former member of the White Fang, he stayed with her for the whole weekend, putting up her small talk and constant glares. She didn't think of it much at the time, but now, she was very grateful for what he did for her.

She knew Sun had feelings for her; he just couldn't hide them…neither could Neptune. For the longest time, she was conflicted on whether she'd want to reciprocate them or not.

She had no doubt he'd be faithful to her, but there were two major problems with him: his kleptomania and lack of sense of personal space and privacy. Along with his thieving, Sun had no qualms about invading people's privacy, such as when he listened in on the meeting they had before the Paladin Incident.

The mere thought of that night made Blake's head ache. She was so concerned with stopping the White Fang that she was blind to the damage she and her teammates had caused. Once she had regained her senses about the whole thing, she looked it up and discovered the casualties: 19 deaths and 54 people hospitalized. Out of those nineteen deaths, six of them were children.

She couldn't help but feel responsible for many of the things that happened to her team. If she hadn't been so obsessed with Torchwick, then she never would've led her teammates on that hunt that led to the horrible tragedy. People would be more willing to believe Yang after she maimed Mercury if the Paladin Incident never happened, but instead, everyone thought of her as a ruthless sadist whose temper was out of control.

If she hadn't gone back into Beacon, Yang wouldn't have come and looked for her. Instead, right when she was facing her former love, Adam Taurus, Yang appeared.

" _This isn't what I wanted!" Blake told Adam as she turned Gambol Shroud into a handgun. "I wanted equality! I wanted peace!" She fired two rounds at Adam, which he absorbed with his sword._

" _When will you understand!?" Adam shot back before knocking the weapon out of Blake's hand. "Humanity is incapable of giving us respect through peace! If we're ever to gain equality, we must fight back!"_

" _This isn't fighting back, this is terrorism!" Blake pointed out._

" _Humanity pushed us to this!" Adam argued. "We tried it peacefully under your father's leadership and what did we get for it? More harassment? More discrimination? More hate?"_

" _My dad was trying to help us," the Cat Faunus responded, attempting to retrieve her weapon, but Adam blasted it away._

" _Your father was a coward," he insulted. "He cared more about being 'right' than he did about our lives. Do you honestly believe there is a 'right' way to get the respect we deserve? No! There's only what's best for us!"_

" _This isn't what's best for us!" Blake claimed before using a Shadow Clone to escape his sight and retrieve her weapon. She was about to slash at him, but he deflected the blow and stabbed her abdomen._

" _Blake!" Yang cried out as she witnessed it. Blake fell to her knees, feeling the wound, which luckily wasn't fatal._

" _I could kill you if I wanted to," Adam claimed. "But I won't."_

" _Get away from her!" Yang warned. Adam turned around to face Yang and sheathed his sword. The blonde brawler let out a roar and charged at him, allowing him to cleanly cut off her arm._

"I'm sorry, Yang," Blake apologized.

"Sorry for what?" Sun asked, startling Blake.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned. "If my dad sees you-"

"I just wanted to come and see how you were," Sun responded, leaping onto the porch. "What are you sorry for?"

"It's not your concern," Blake refused to answer.

"Blake, don't do this," Sun insisted. "You don't have to carry everything alone."

"I have to," the ninja Faunus replied. "Every time I let people into my life, they always get hurt."

"It's not your fault Yang lost her arm," Sun stated. "It was Adam's. Why do you keep blaming yourself for them getting hurt?"

"Because of who I was," Blake answered. "I was a member of the White Fang during its years of terrorism. I helped in that. I wanted to believe that my sins would just be forgotten, but I was wrong. They followed me, everywhere I went…and my friends paid the price."

"And you think abandoning them is helping them?" Sun asked. "Blake, you abandoned your friends once. You saw how hurt and worried they were when they found you. How can you honestly think it was a good idea to do it a second time?"

"Because I had to!" Blake yelled. "And who are you to judge me for leaving my friends? You left Sage, Scarlet and Neptune."

"I didn't abandon them," Sun denied. "I talked it out with them, told them I was going to find you. They agreed to it and they flew back to Mistral…and it was a very good thing that I did come after you."

"Why's that?" Blake questioned.

"At first, I thought you were going up against the White Fang, so I wanted to help you because it'd be suicide to fight them on your own," Sun explained. "But you're just running away again. You need to understand-"

"No, YOU need to understand," Blake interrupted angrily. "Ever since you've come here, all you've done is cause trouble by stealing and not respecting peoples' privacy. I run, yes, but I think I do it for a good reason. You steal those things just because you can't keep your hands to yourself."

"It's who I am," Sun replied. "Things weren't easy in Vacuo-"

"We're not in Vacuo anymore," Blake cut him off. "You've been told that hundreds of times and you still won't listen. You're getting on me for my bad habits when you do nothing to change your own!"

"I'm saying these things because you can't keep running," Sun stated, his voice becoming firmer. "If all you do is run, there won't be anyone left to help you."

"What do you know?" Blake questioned.

"I know a lot of what it's like to not have people to rely on," the Monkey Faunus replied. "I would know because there was no one for me when I lived in Vacuo."

Blake's angered expression changed to one of worry and sympathy. Sun often spoke fondly of his home, almost never painting anything negative about it. She assumed that because of it that his life in Vacuo was great for him.

"No one…?" she asked.

"My parents left me when I was eight years old," Sun revealed. "I had to steal. I had to break rules. I had to do what I needed to survive. Vacuo is a place that doesn't teach you how to behave, how to obey or follow rules; it teaches you to survive. I had no one to lean on, no one to help me until I was fifteen years old. I found friends, friends I could rely on to help me."

Blake was shook by this sudden change of character from Sun. He had always been so laid-back, so optimistic that seeing him so serious and devoid of any happiness was surprising to her. He had endured a lot of hardship as she had, but in different ways.

"If you spend your life running Blake, then you'll have no one to help you and I know how bad that feels," Sun replied. "When will you stop being a coward and stop running?"

Sun was right. Blake had spent her life running when she was scared. She was scared of emotional attachments, of letting people into her life, of her past sins catching up to her. She had turned to running away from the problem instead of facing it.

"If I'm such a coward, then why did you follow me?" Blake asked. Sun's expression softened up.

"I thought it was obvious," the Monkey Faunus responded.

Blake knew immediately what he meant. Right off the bat, Sun had feelings for her. She had thought about her own feelings for Sun, but had never come to a conclusion.

On the one hand, Sun was a good-hearted, fun-loving and kind person. He almost always had a smile on his face and it was hard to ruin his spirits. He looked after others with selfless care and was often the first to cheer them up when they were under the weather.

On the other hand, Sun had many bad habits. He was a shameless kleptomaniac, stealing anything when he didn't need to anymore, which had landed him in trouble many times. He had little, if any, sense of personal space or privacy; what was to stop him from invading conversations she wanted kept private from him?

"No…" she weakly responded.

"Huh?" Sun asked, unsure of she meant.

"No," she repeated with a louder voice.

"No?" Sun questioned, scratching his head.

"I don't love you!" she spoke out loud.

Those four words hurt Sun far worse than any punishment for his kleptomania or slaps on his face.

"Blake…"

"No!" she spoke once more. "I know everything that's good about you…and everything that isn't. Maybe I could deal with your bad habits then, but I can't anymore."

Sun wanted to say something, but his voice fell very short.

"No matter how many times you're told, you won't stop stealing. You're not in Vacuo anymore; you chose to leave, so you should've known that if you broke the law, there would be consequences. I learned how severe they could when I helped cause the Paladin Incident, but nothing phases you. How are you so incapable of learning from your mistakes when you're told what you're doing wrong right up to your face?"

"Well, you didn't learn either!" Sun barked. "You ran away and abandoned your teammates a second time!"

"Because I don't want them to suffer for the sins of my past!" Blake shot back. "I'm tired of watching people I care about suffer. The consequences of my actions and my past are mine to deal with."

"You're not dealing with them, you're running from them," Sun pointed out.

"At least I'm honest about who I am," the Cat Faunus argued. "But you…you just keep doing whatever you want with no qualms about it. I don't want to be with someone who I have to be constantly worrying about them getting into trouble because they can't keep their hands to themselves."

"Well, at least I don't abandon my friends," Sun replied. "I care about them. Do you even care about your teammates? I can't tell." Blake's eyes widened before she clenched her hands into fists and walked right up to Sun.

"I do care about them!" she yelled. "All you care about is doing whatever you want and acting like there are no consequences! I never wanted you here! I could never love a kleptomaniac like you! Get out!"

Blake turned around, her expression still one of anger. Slowly, the realization of her outburst sank in and her scowl changed to regret and sympathy.

"Sun, I'm sorry-" She tried to apologize, but the Monkey Faunus was gone. She smacked her forehead and groaned in frustration at herself.

-0-

 _Yang woke up to find herself once again in the ruins of Beacon. Ever since she had started using her robotic arm, it had appeared in her dreams as well at times when her old arm wasn't present._

 _This time, it didn't feel eerie like before. Instead, it was calm and quiet, the only sound being the chirping of crickets. It felt completely abandoned, even by the demons that had haunted her ever since that horrible night._

" _Why?" a voice asked. Yang looked to her side to see Ruby looking at her with pleading eyes._

" _Ruby?" she asked._

" _Why did you push me away?" she asked. "All I wanted to do was help you! Don't you love me?"_

" _Of course I do," Yang insisted. "I…I was angry."_

" _You're always angry!" Ruby claimed. "You're always losing you temper when things don't go your way!"_

" _I lost my arm!" Yang pointed out to her robotic limb. "I…"_

" _You weren't the only one to suffer from what happened!" another voice called out, belonging to Ruo-Jian approaching from her left, opposite to Ruby._

" _Ruo!" she called out._

" _I spent months trying to help you…and all you did was spit it in my face!" the Faunus stated bitterly. "I chose you over my teammates because I loved you! Was it truly worth nothing to you?"_

" _I didn't mean it!" the blonde brawler started to cry. "I was angry and…"_

 _Something struck her. When they got on her for pushing them away, her reason was "I was angry". It was her temper that had pushed them away, the reason why she was alone._

" _I'm sorry," she apologized. "I let my temper get the better of me."_

" _You always let your temper get the better of you!" Ruby cried out. "If we mean nothing to you, then we'll just leave!" Ruby and Ruo started to walk away into the shadows._

" _No!" Yang shouted. "Don't leave me!"_

Yang gasped as she woke up from her dream. She breathed heavily before slumping back onto her bed.

Her mind was occupied by the days that she had lashed out at Ruby and Ruo-Jian when all they tried to do was help her.

Ruby wanted to offer comfort in the wake of the destruction of their school, the deaths of many friends, the loss of her arm, and, the most devastating, the fates of Weiss and Blake. Both of their teammates were gone, Weiss having been forced back to Atlas by her father and Blake was nowhere to be found. Ruby tried to offer her comfort, but all she did was call her sister a fool and lose her temper.

Ruo-Jian had spent the last several months trying to help her move on from her PTSD and depression. He had urged her to put on the robotic arm and continue her training as a Huntress. When he pointed out how deep in depression she had fallen, she yelled at him and told him in a fit of anger that their relationship meant nothing to her.

Her anger issues were indeed something that needed to be fixed, just like her father had said, or she'd lose her sister and boyfriend for good.

When the morning rolled around, Yang and Tai had another sparring match to get her back into fighting shape. The two of them traded and dodged blows until Yang managed to land a hard hit on his arm.

"Wow, that thing packs a punch," Tai commented as he recovered from the attack.

"Yeah," Yang commented as she looked at her robotic arm. "They did a good job with this. It feels…natural."

"I've noticed something," Tai brought up, immediately grabbing Yang's attention.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You're trying to get a grip on your anger," he commented. "It's reflecting in your fighting style."

"What do you mean?" she asked, unsure of what he meant.

"I watched your matches during the Vytal Tournament," Tai explained as he walked over and grabbed a towel to wipe away his sweat. "Do you know you used your Semblance for every match after the Team Battles?"

"You're saying that like it's a problem," the blonde brawler asked.

"Because you were over reliant on it," Tai pointed out. "Your Semblance works like redirection; you take damage, then you dish it back twice as hard. It's a great fallback, but that doesn't make you invincible. What if your opponent catches onto what you're doing? You HAVE to absorb damage for it to work; if your opponents exploit your weakness, then it will leave you tired and worn out. Your Semblance won't work if they don't hit you."

"So what's your point?" she asked.

"I've seen that whenever you feel the urge to use your Semblance, you're repressing it," Tai explained. "That says a lot. Whenever you did use your Semblance, it was in a state of anger. The fact that you're not just blindly turning to it shows improvement and maturity."

Yang smiled at her father's comment as she walked over and got herself some water. She then knelt to pet Zwei as he panted excitedly.

"I thought about what you said…about Raven," she replied, her tone much more solemn. "I was going down that road."

"Yang…" Tai spoke gently, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Both Ruby and Ruo left because…I was angry," she admitted, repeating the same words from her dream. "I don't want to make the same mistake she made."

"More like, the same mistake I made," Tai sadly admitted as he retracted his hand from Yang's shoulder.

"Why do you blame yourself for what happened?" Yang asked, unsure of how this was her father's fault.

"Because I did nothing," Tai replied. "I knew Raven was going down a path where she'd push everyone away, but I didn't do anything to stop her."

"What made her become like that?" she asked. Tai sighed; Yang was old enough, so he figured he had to tell her now.

"Your mother and Uncle Qrow were from a bandit tribe," he started. "Your Uncle Qrow got along just fine, but your mom…she really fell behind."

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"Their tribe lived by the motto 'Strength is Virtue, Weakness is Sin'. They mocked and belittled Raven for not living up to their standards. She had to deal with it for years...and the only person in the tribe who cared about her was Qrow. When he wasn't around, they'd always tell her how weak she was and that her life itself was a waste unless she became strong."

"So, they were extremely hard on her," Yang deduced.

"She suffered psychological abuse," Tai specified. "At first, when I met her, she was very quiet, very reserved, basically living in a shell. After months with Summer and I, Raven broke out of it and…what I saw made me fall for her. She was strong, brave, ambitious, and dedicated to any cause she saw worth fighting for."

"If she was that person, then what happened?" Yang asked once more, finally hearing about her mother from Tai.

"After we graduated, things started to fall apart. Raven started becoming more cynical, more selfish, more unwilling to accept her faults. I saw it happening and instead of addressing the issue, all I'd do is just delay the inevitable."

" _When are you going to grow up!?" Raven called out her teammates. "This fight is hopeless!"_

" _Stop being like this, Raven!" Summer scolded. "We chose to be here. Yes, Ozpin needs to be more upfront-"_

" _I thought you were supposed to be our leader," Raven interrupted. "You're acting only like a naive child."_

" _What did you just say?" she questioned. "Just because we're not as cynical as you doesn't mean we're naive."_

" _I'm not cynical, I'm a realist," Raven denied._

" _Here's some realism; Salem is an actual threat," Qrow snarked. "Ozpin is our best chance of beating her."_

" _No, Ozpin is our best chance of getting ourselves killed," Raven responded. "You're only defending him because he doesn't mind your Semblance." Qrow came dangerously close to punching his sister, but stopped himself._

" _You're not being a realist, you're being a coward," he argued._

" _No, I'm being smart," Raven denied again._

 _She felt a pain on her cheek. When she recovered from it, she realized that Summer Rose, her team leader and best friend, had slapped her._

" _That's enough, Raven!" she barked. "Ever since you've changed, you've gotten on us for our faults while completely denying your own! Do you have any idea how hypocritical you've become?!"_

" _Guys!" Tai finally stepped in, stopping their argument. "Please, don't keep arguing."_

" _Then Raven needs to stop being so selfish," Qrow replied. "Why don't you tell Raven to stop what she's doing?"_

" _I don't need to hear this," Raven replied before walking away._

"If I had done something, maybe she would've been here instead of leaving right after you were born," Tai believed.

"Dad, don't do this to yourself," Yang insisted.

"But it's my fault," he replied. "Raven was changing for the worse and I-" He felt two arms pull him into a hug and hold him tight. When he realized it was Yang hugging him, he returned the embrace.

"When Raven ran, you stayed with us," she reminded him. "When we lost Mom, you struggled like all of us did. I know that feeling when you feel everything has come crashing down and you feel that there's nothing to look at and smile. But…we were wrong. We had so much to smile for…and people to stay strong for."

She could Tai sniffling before she saw tears running down his face. All this time, he had thought of himself as a terrible father for not doing anything to stop Raven and falling into depression after Summer died. He had come to realize how much he had put on Yang's shoulders because he was too buried in self-pity when Summer's death and Raven's abandonment affected all of them.

"I'm sorry, Yang," he apologized through his tears. "I'm sorry for not being the father I should've been."

"I think we both apologizing to do," Yang replied, thinking of how she'd need to make things right with Ruby and Ruo.

-0-

Blake woke up the next morning, still feeling bad for how she snapped at Sun. She had called him out on his flaws and he had called her out on hers.

In that moment, she had also declared that she did not love the Monkey Faunus. She simply couldn't deal with his kleptomania and lack of personal space anymore; after everything she had, she didn't want to be around someone who had a bad habit of getting into trouble.

But she couldn't help but feel regret for how she had yelled at Sun. She picked up her scroll and dialed Sun's number. It rang several times before it read 'No Answer'. She got out of bed, got herself dressed and walked out of her room. She then hurried o the entrance, but upon opening it, she saw Akela standing there.

"Hey, Blake," Akela greeted. "How did you-"

"Have you seen Sun?" she asked.

"The guy that Bhaal caught for stealing?" he clarified. "No. Why? Is he in trouble again?"

"I don't know," she answered. "He and I…had an argument last night. I said some things I shouldn't have. Can you help me find him, make sure he's okay?"

"Of course," Akela replied. The two of them left the Belladonna home to find Sun, hoping he was not in trouble.


	16. The Enemy Strikes

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 16: The Enemy Strikes**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"This has to stop!" Coco told Goodwitch. "This isn't a mission anymore. It's suicide. We're low on ammo, food and over half of our force is gone. If we go any further, we're done for."

"We are NOT stopping," Goodwitch firmly refused. "As long as Beacon remains under the control of the Grimm, they will pose a threat to Vale."

"We CANNOT go any further!" Coco argued. "In the three weeks since Nasser left, more and more people have left us. We need to fall back or we will be killed."

"We're not going anywhere but forward," the professor stubbornly refused again. "We are not turning back until Beacon is retaken."

"Open your eyes!" Coco barked. "You've been working us like pack mules and haven't given us any time to breathe. We need to turn back."

"If we turn back now, the Grimm will reclaim the land we've taken," Goodwitch replied, refusing to listen to Coco's plight. "We cannot afford to send anyone back for any reason."

"YOU'RE GOING TO GET US ALL KILLED!" the fashionista shouted, gesturing to the less than fifty Huntsmen still with them. "This is suicide! If the Grimm don't kill us, starvation will."

"I don't care," Glynda dismissed. "We keep moving forward. If you turn back now, you might as well spit on Velvet's grave."

Coco finally had enough. She had put up with Goodwitch's irrational behavior for too long. Reclaiming Beacon was a lost cause; this had become nothing more than a suicide mission.

"Let's go," she told Fox and Yatsu. "We're done."

"Excuse me?" Goodwitch asked, not liking what she just heard from the leader of Team CFY.

"We're done," Coco stated. "I won't let you kill my teammates for this anymore. Beacon is lost; it's time we accept reality."

"She's right," another voice responded, belonging to Professor Port, who was accompanied by Doctor Oobleck. "Glynda, this has gone too far. We need to turn back."

"And leave Beacon in the hands of those monsters?" she questioned. "No. We go all the way. No one else is leaving."

"That is not your decision to make anymore," Oobleck firmly stated. "I loved Beacon too, but it's gone. Maybe one day, we'll reclaim it, but for now, we must leave it. We don't have the numbers anymore."

"We would have the numbers if everyone had stayed loyal instead of cowering away," Glynda growled.

"Glynda, listen to reason," Port insisted, disturbed by Goodwitch's behavior. "Too many people have died on this. Please, let go of this stubbornness before more innocent people die."

"We are Huntsmen," Goodwitch stated. "It's our job to keep people safe. Vale will never be safe unless we retake Beacon."

"At what cost?" Oobleck questioned.

"At ANY cost," Goodwitch replied. The two professors' worried expressions changed to firm ones.

"This has gone too far, Glynda," Port responded. "Everyone, we're leaving. This mission is done."

"This mission is NOT done!" Goodwitch refused, pulling out her crop. "And anyone else who tries to leave will answer to me."

"No, they won't," Oobleck denied. "We're all going back."

A fight seemed inevitable as Goodwitch remained blind to reason. As the argument continued, Coco noticed movement in the ruins. She took off her shades to get a closer look. When she saw the armor on the figure moving around, she knew right away that the group was in danger, starting with a grenade being thrown.

"Everyone, grenade!" she called out to warn everyone. The grenade exploded in the center of the road, knocking some of them back.

"Take cover!" Port ordered as Iron Knights unleashed barrages of gunfire upon them. To their shock, some of the Huntsmen were killed in one hit, despite their Auras being active.

"What?!" Coco gasped in horror as several bodies fell to the ground. "Their Auras weren't depleted! How were they killed in one hit?!" Oobleck saw one of the bullet shells roll near him, prompting him to grab it and examine it.

"My word," he gasped. "These are AB rounds!"

"AB?" Fox questioned.

"Aura Breaking," Port explained. "Atlas had been developing ammunition that's able to penetrate Aura, thus allowing it to kill Huntsmen without having to deplete their Auras first!"

"Are you joking?" Coco asked in disbelief. "How did they get their hands on this? And why would Atlas develop stuff like this?"

"They developed it for the purpose of dealing with rogue and outlaw Huntsmen," Port answered. "I didn't think they'd actually do it, but-"

"We must push forward!" Goodwitch ordered.

"No!" Oobleck refused. "These are AB rounds. One hit from these and you're dead, even with your Aura active."

"I don't care!" Goodwitch replied. "We must take back Beacon, no matter the cost."

"Stop this nonsense, Glynda!" Port insisted as he shot an Iron Knight in his chest. "We must fall back! Why are you-"

"I will not let anything stand in my way!" Goodwitch interrupted. "No one else is leaving!"

"Then you can stay and get yourself killed!" Coco shouted. "But the rest of us need to get out of here!" She then turned to the remaining force who were hiding behind cover from the Iron Knights' ambush.

"Everyone, stay low and move!" she ordered. "We're getting out of here!"

"You're not leaving!" Goodwitch refused. "I'm the one giving out orders here!"

"YOU'RE GOING TO GET US ALL KILLED!" Yatsu roared. Goodwitch growled before taking out her riding crop, leaping out and throwing several telekinetic blasts at the Iron Knights, stopping their barrage.

"There," she replied.

Wires lashed out and wrapped themselves around Glynda's body, knocking her weapon out of her hand. She gasped in shock before being dragged away and out of sight.

"Glynda!" Oobleck called out as the Knights continued their barrage and came closer.

"We can't take them on with a direct assault!" Port stated. "We must retreat!"

"But Glynda was captured!" Oobleck pointed out. "We can't just abandon her!"

"They could outnumber us 10 to 1 here," Port explained. "And with that AB ammo, they'd tear through us in minutes. We must retreat!"

"I'm afraid no one is going anywhere," Valkoin replied, standing on top of a pillar. He reached out his hand and started pulling on wires connected to another pillar, causing it to slowly collapse.

"Move!" Coco shouted as everyone moved to get past the pillar that Valkoin was toppling. The Iron Knights managed to get in closer, surrounding the group and killing several more of them. Seeing that none of them would possibly make it, Yatsu grabbed Fox by the collar of his shirt.

"Get help!" he stated before throwing him just as the pillar collapsed, trapping everyone between it and the Iron Knights now aimed to take everyone out. The Huntsmen were about to draw out their weapons, but upon seeing Valkoin approach, they hesitated.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned. "Drop your weapons and we'll take you prisoner. Refuse…well…" The Iron Knights cocked their guns, prepared to shoot them all down.

They all looked around to see themselves completely surrounded and outnumbered. With them backed into a corner, they were fish in a barrel for the Knights. There was nowhere to set up a place of defense from the enemy. They had only two options: surrender or die.

"Drop your weapons," Port shamefully told them as he dropped his blunderbuss. The others followed suit and dropped their weapons, knowing that they couldn't fight their way out of this. Valkoin smirked as he left the area to allow the Knights to put them in restraints.

Glynda groaned in exhaustion before opening her eyes to be greeted by her former comrade. Her body was tied to a wall by wires, each one wrapped around a different limb.

"Comfortable?" he asked with a smirk.

"Valkoin!" she barked and tried to lash at him, but the restraining wires were too strong.

"Don't try it," Valkoin dismissed. "Make one wrong move and my wires will tear you apart…unless you tell me what I want to know."

"I won't tell you anything," she refused. She heard Valkoin chuckle.

"If you're honestly thinking that any of your fighters will save you, then forget it," he stated. "No one is coming to save you. Even if by some miracle, one of them escape, do you really think they'll save you, after everything you've done?"

"I was trying to secure the Relic!" Goodwitch defended herself.

"True, but they don't know that," Valkoin taunted. "All they know is that you pushed them too far in your obsession to get the Relic back. You abused them. You insulted them. You gave no attention to their condition nor to the casualties. I guess that's what happens when you're around Ozpin for too long."

"Don't you dare speak that way about him!" she barked. "He may not have been perfect, but he's not the monster you're painting him to be. He did what he felt was right to keep people safe."

"Wake up, Glynda," Valkoin replied solemnly, his voice devoid of any humor. "Ozpin and Salem don't care about us. We're just pawns in a war for them, which they've been fighting for thousands of years. Ozpin hasn't come anywhere close to defeating Salem; all he's doing is delaying the inevitable."

"And you're helping Salem!" she pointed out. "You betrayed us!"

"Ozpin's lies took everything from me!" Valkoin shouted. "His lies, his selfishness and his hypocrisy have cost hundreds, maybe thousands of people, everything they have just so he can use them as pawns in his war."

"So you think the right thing to do is to help Salem?" Glynda questioned. "If she has her way, she'll wipe humanity off the face of Remnant."

"That won't happen," Valkoin replied. "But enough of that. Where is Ozpin's cane?"

"I'm not telling you anything," Glynda refused again. The wire user tightened his grip and pulled on Glynda's limbs, causing her immense pain. After several moments of hearing her scream, he stopped.

"You have till tomorrow to give me your answer," he informed. "Tell me where the cane is and I'll spare your life. Refuse…and I'll tear you to pieces."

Unknown to him, Fox Alistair was hurrying back to Vale to get help.

"I'm coming back," he promised. "Stay alive."

-0-

Sun sat on the rooftop of a building in Mengarie, thinking of the argument he and Blake had last night. He had time to think of her and ultimately realized what her problem was.

Her contradictory actions.

She wanted to bring equality and peace between Humans and Faunus, to accept them as they are, but she hid herself with a bow out of fear of being judged. She wanted to help her friends, but whenever hardships arrived, she turned tail and ran. She felt bad for partaking in the White Fang's violence and wished to stop it, but after the Fall of Beacon, she had decided to stay in Menagerie and do nothing while the White Fang continued their rampage.

Everything she had done contradicted her beliefs. Instead of standing out for her people, she blended in while other Faunus were harassed, bullied and threatened. Instead of helping her friends, she ran away without a word, leaving them worried sick about her. Instead of standing in the way of the White Fang as she wanted to, she was hiding in Menagerie.

He had been attracted to Blake for her wanting to stand up for the Faunus, for her strong sense of morality, for wanting to do what she felt was right. Now that he had seen her now, that was feeling like hypocrisy.

He had come after her because he believed she was going after the White Fang. He knew that if she did, she would definitely need backup and her teammates were unavailable to help her. He found it admirable that she was going to seek out justice for the Fall of Beacon.

How mistaken he was. Blake had no intention of doing anything other than run and hide. She seemed to have no intention of returning to her teammates and helping them.

In their argument, she called him out for his kleptomania. While he was a kleptomaniac and was as bad a habit as Blake's running away from her problems, at least he was honest about it. Whenever he stole, it was something that could be replaced, like food. It was harmless…most times.

There were instances when he stole important stuff from other people, such as Math's sword and Nasser's necklace. His thieving had earned him quite an infamous reputation at Beacon and at Haven.

" _Mr. Wukong!" Professor Lionheart scolded Sun as he sat at his desk. "Why were you almost taken into custody today?"_

" _All I did was take some bananas," he responded. "It was harmless." Lionheart groaned._

" _This is not Vacuo. You don't get to do whatever you want and act like nothing happened. You need to learn the importance of consequences. If you don't, then you will cause more harm than good to those you care about."_

" _It was just a few bananas," Sun repeated. "They can be replaced easily."_

" _Perhaps you're unfamiliar with Mistral's history with Faunus," Lionheart deduced. "Mistral has always been much more prejudicial to the Faunus than Vacuo. Here, a human can steal a banana and get slapped on the wrist. If a Faunus steals a banana, he could end up beaten and left on the side of the road to rot."_

" _What?" Sun asked. "Just for stealing a banana?"_

" _Mistral is much more severe in its punishment towards Faunus than the other kingdoms," Lionheart continued. "If you keep this up, there's no telling of what can happen. And the worst part would be that we wouldn't be able to get justice. Mistral still considers the Faunus a lesser species; in other word, you."_

" _Well, it's not like that in Vacuo," Sun responded._

" _Well, this isn't Vacuo," Lionheart repeated. "I'm telling you this because one day, you may screw up and then…" He sighed._

" _No more stealing."_

Ever since Sun had left Vacuo, he had seen much more prejudice towards Faunus than ever before. There were businesses that were legally allowed to ban Faunus from entering their buildings or being employed. Humans that attacked Faunus were given a slap on the wrist, but a Faunus who attacked a human was treated as if they had committed murder.

He had seen even worse in Mistral, just as Lionheart warned. He had read a story of how a Faunus child whistled at a young and beautiful human waitress. When he was walking home, two human men attacked him, dragged him to a town square and tied him to a post. There, he was pelted with fruit for three hours until his mother finally rescued him.

An even worse was hearing of how a Faunus used to work in a noodle shop; during that time, she was being harassed by humans. When they decided that they would no longer tolerate her working there, they started to drag her out of the building. She begged for her manager to save her, but he simply fired her and did nothing. They then proceeded to hang her from a tree…with barbed wire.

Any of those times could've been Sun…just because he was a Faunus. Because he was a part of a species that was hated and despised just for being different. Was his kleptomania truly that much of a danger to himself and others?

He'd think about it on his way back to Mistral. He was done trying to get through to Blake. He was done with her contradictions, her cowardice, and everything else. If she wanted to remain in hiding so she could run away from her problems, then he wasn't going to do with her. He leapt off the building and started on his way to the boat in the port.

"Yes, she's here," he heard a voice speak. He looked over to see where the voice came from, but saw no one.

"Blake Belladonna arrived in Menagerie weeks ago," he heard again. Sun was intrigued to know what was going on. He quietly leapt onto the roof of a building and looked around. When he saw movement in the bushes, he knew right away the Faunus he was hearing was using camouflage.

"We cannot move on her, not without making an enemy of Menagerie," she spoke once again. "Brother Taurus told us to leave her alone for now." There was silence for a moment, Sun keeping an eye out for movement so he wouldn't lose them.

"But…" He heard a sigh. "I'll keep an eye on her for now. But we need to proceed cautiously before-" The Faunus must've spotted Sun as they took off and ran through the bushes.

"Hey!" he called out as he hurried after them. Unfortunately, he lost them.

But he had learned that Adam Taurus now knew that Blake was in Menagerie. If he planned on turning his attention to her soon, then she needed to be warned.

"Sun!" Blake called out as she and Akela rushed up to him. "Where have you been?"

"Thinking," Sun replied. "And Adam knows you're here."

"Adam Taurus?" Akela questioned. "How could he know?"

"I overheard a conversation with someone, but I think they were using camouflage," the Monkey informed. "They said something about 'not making a move or they'd make an enemy out of Menagerie'."

"Did you say that they used camouflage?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, I think," Sun answered.

"Ilia," Akela stated.

"Who?" Sun asked, confused.

"She was a friend of mine," Blake answered. "And a member of the White Fang."

-0-

Ruby and Jaune set Qrow down against a tree after they had split off from Nora and Ren. To their horror, Qrow had been poisoned by Tyrian's stinger; to make matters worse, they had no medicine that could treat it.

"I can already imagine Weiss saying 'This is why we buy antitoxin'," Ruby said as she helped her uncle sit down.

"Yeah," Jaune responded with little enthusiasm. "Hopefully, Ren and Nora find someone who can help us. For now, let's hope this place has antitoxin."

Ruby and Jaune looked through the buildings, but sadly found nothing. There was no medicine of any kind that could help them heal Qrow. They searched for almost twenty minutes, but their search proved fruitless.

"Dammit," Jaune growled. "Ren was right. This place is a bust."

"Then we should get back to Qrow," Ruby decided. They went back to him and checked on his condition. His fever was getting worse and he was barely able to keep his eyes open any more than ten seconds.

Jaune reached for his sword after hearing a noise, prepared to fight.

"It's far off," Ruby told him.

"I know," he responded. "But Ren and Nora are still out there. I just hope they're okay." Ruby slowly got onto her feet and walked up to Jaune with a sad expression on her face.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Sorry?" Jaune asked. "For what?"

"For dragging you into this," she clarified. "When we started, I thought of this as our way to get justice for those we lost. Penny, Velvet…even Team CRDL. They may've been bullies, but they didn't deserve to die like that."

"Ruby…" Jaune spoke.

"I wanted to do what I felt was right," Ruby continued. "I wanted to help stop those who destroyed our school, killed our friends, and caused this chaos. Instead…all I did was bring you and your team into a war, a war Ozpin…was going to force Pyrrha to fight."

"You're not responsible for this," Jaune assured.

"Then why do I feel like I am?" she asked. "I didn't want to believe that what Raven said about Ozpin was true, that he was a monster. But after everything, I…I just don't know anymore."

"Anymore?" Jaune asked. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since I decided I wanted to become a Huntress, I wanted to do what I felt was right," Ruby went on. "It was simple; beat the bad guys, kill the Grimm and protect the innocent. That's what I wanted to do. The first night I met Blake, she said 'Unfortunately, the real world isn't a fairy tale'; I knew she was right, but I wanted to make the world better. Instead, we're…we're in a war that we barely know anything about. Even if Salem is this monster wanting to destroy humanity, after everything that's happened, is Ozpin truly any better than she is?"

Jaune wanted to rant about his newfound hatred for Ozpin after what happened. Pyrrha had trusted her life to him; in return, when he promised her a choice, he forced it on her, which could've killed her. In truth, he was also dealing with his own doubts as well.

"You're not the only one dealing with doubts," he revealed.

"Jaune?" Ruby asked.

"I want to think I could've helped Pyrrha fight Cinder…but I wasn't strong enough. What kind of leader can I be if I can't even fight for my own teammates?"

"Jaune, you've come a long way like everyone else," Ruby assured. "Maybe you weren't the best when we started, but you improved."

"But I'm still not strong," he replied. "Pyrrha…gave me the courage to put aside my pride and become a warrior. Now that she's not here…" He sighed.

"I have to become stronger; for Ren, for Nora, for my teammates, for everyone." He put his hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"But we can do this," he assured. "You can still make a difference in the world. I can become stronger for my team and friends. We can find the courage we need to go forward, to realize our goals so we can stop Salem from wiping us out, so we can have our vengeance on Cinder for what she did."

Ruby smiled before hugging Jaune and he returned the embrace.

"Thank you, Jaune," she spoke. "For everything."

"What are friends for?" he replied. "Ozpin or no Ozpin, we can do this."

 **Author's Notes: Remember that if you like, you can vote on the poll on my profile on how many stars you'd give this series! Continue reading and writing!**


	17. Organizing a Rescue

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 17: Organizing a Rescue**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"Blake, Adam knows you're here!" Sun repeated as he and Blake on the front porch of the Belladonna home, the sun already starting to set. "We can't just stay on the fence about this."

"Adam may be a murderer, but he has enough sense not to do try something stupid," Blake replied.

"That psychopath helped destroy Beacon!" Sun brought up. "What's to stop him from coming after you, Blake?" She said nothing as she thought about what Sun said.

Adam knew she was in Menagerie now. If he truly intended to, he could find a way to bring her to him for execution. The only defenders who'd stand in his way were her father's personal guard and Bhaal's warriors; even then, they'd be outnumbered 50 to 1.

"Blake, what will you do?" Sun asked.

"I…I don't know," she responded. "I hoped…that Adam wouldn't know I was here. But like I said, he has enough sense not to risk making Menagerie his enemy."

"But if he later does?" Sun suggested. "You said it yourself. He has a lot of influence in the White Fang. What if he does eventually come for you?"

"Then…" Blake tried to answer, but couldn't. "I'll leave." Sun's eyes widened.

"You'll leave?" he asked. "Again? Just like that?"

"If Adam does come or send someone to come get me, then I'll put everyone in danger," she replied.

"Or you can stand your ground and fight," Sun responded. "Haven't you done enough running already?" She glared at Sun.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"You heard me," Sun stated. "Your running needs to stop."

"You don't understand!" Blake barked. "I'm tired of watching my friends get hurt because of me."

"Blake," Sun addressed.

"Shut up!" she silenced. "I don't like being alone, but I have to. You think I don't miss my friends? Ruby, Weiss, Yang? I loved them like they were my family…and I hope that they hate me for leaving them." Sun frowned.

"Maybe they should," he agreed. "Maybe you are a coward." Blake looked over at Sun with shock in her eyes. This soon turned to anger before she clenched her fists.

"You're going to lecture me about my bad habits?" she questioned. "You have several bad habits yourself, Sun."

"At least I'm honest about it," the Monkey responded. "You're not facing the consequences of your actions. All you're doing is running away from your problems like you always have."

"You don't understand, Sun," Blake replied.

"No!" Sun barked. "You don't understand! You think that by running away, you're helping your friends, but you're not. All you're doing is hurting them because they care about you, despite everything."

"Despite everything?" she asked.

"Yes," Sun confirmed. "You say you want equality and peace between Humans and Faunus, to put an end to the prejudice against our race. Instead, you hid yourself out of fear of being judged; while all the other Faunus were being bullied, harassed, threatened and even worse, you hid yourself and did nothing to stand up for them."

"Sun," Blake addressed.

"Zip it!" he silenced. "You say you want to help your friends because you love them like family and they feel that way about you too. But whenever hardships rise up, you turn tail and run. You think abandoning them is helping them? You really think making them hate you is going to make things better? You have no idea how wrong you are."

Blake was completely taken back by Sun's attitude. She never expected he'd be so blunt, less call someone out in the harsh manner he was doing.

"On top of that, you talked about how you want to stop the White Fang's violence because you regret taking part in it. But while they're out there, continuing their rampage and destroying more innocent lives, you're here in Menagerie hiding and doing nothing!"

"Stop it, Sun!" Blake cried out. "I…"

"You can't spend your life running away from your problems," the Monkey told her in a calmer tone. "Because you're hurting everyone else as much as you're hurting yourself."

"That's the only choice I have," she responded. "The consequences of my actions belong to me and me alone."

"You DO have a choice," Sun responded. "You chose to leave. You chose to come here. You CHOSE to do everything you did."

"If you're so smart, Sun, then what are my choices?" the Cat Faunus asked.

"You can either keep running, hurting everyone you care about because you won't face your problems," Sun explained. "Or you can stand your ground and fight." He didn't receive any answer from Blake, which frustrated him.

"I came after you because I thought you'd go after the White Fang and do what you said you wanted to do: end their violence," he informed. "If all you're going to do is sit here and do nothing while the White Fang continues to destroy more lives, then I don't see why I need to stay anymore. I won't stand by while more Faunus suffer."

Just then, they heard movement in the trees. The two Faunus couldn't see anything, despite their night vision. Blake was the first to see movement as a figure rushed away when they knew they had been seen.

"Hurry!" Blake called as she and Sun chased after the assailant. The two Faunus chased the figure through the trees and across the rooftops until they finally cornered them.

"Ilia," Blake asked. "Why are you spying on me?" The assailant, who was wearing a Grimm mask, took it and looked at the Cat Faunus.

"You betrayed us, Blake!" she stated. "You abandoned us when we needed you! When I needed you!"

"Ilia?" Sun asked. "Isn't that the same person I overheard?"

"Without a doubt," the Cat assured. Ilia aimed her weapon at Blake, prepared to fight if necessary.

"You should never have come back," she warned. "He's right, you know."

"What do you mean?" Blake questioned.

"Your hypocrisy!" Ilia pointed out. "You want people to accept us, but you can't accept yourself!"

That was possibly the second time she had been called out for that. Sadly, it was true. She had allowed her fear to cloud her judgment and had contradicted what she had wanted for so long. She hid herself while other Faunus were subjected to the prejudice from humans.

"You're right," she admitted, making Ilia's expression of anger soften. "I was a hypocrite. I was a coward. I knew what I wanted, but I was too scared of my past to do it."

"And you're still scared," Ilia assumed. "You can choose not to help our people-"

"This isn't helping our people, this is only making things worse!" the Cat interrupted. "I've seen what's happened since the Fall of Beacon. The Faunus are targeted more than ever before because of what Adam did. You honestly want me to support the idea of terrorism?" Ilia looked conflicted for a moment, lowering her weapon. Suddenly, an arrow flew by and hit the weapon out of her hand, having been fired by Akela.

"Ilia, stand down!" he demanded as he nocked another arrow. Instead, Ilia grabbed her weapon and attempted to run, but Blake threw Gambol Shroud in its kusarigama form and wrapped it around her feet. This caused her to fall down and her scroll to fall out of her pocket.

"No!" she cried out. This prompted the Wolf Faunus to hurry over and grab the scroll, but Ilia managed to free herself and get to it before he could.

"Quick!" Akela called out. "We can't let her get away!" The three of them quickly took off after Ilia, who they managed to keep track of due to Akela's sense of smell. When he caught sight of her again, he shot an arrow at her arm, nicking it and making her drop the scroll.

Sun rushed up ahead and successfully managed to grab the device. Before Ilia could even try, Blake and Akela had their weapons aimed at her.

"Stand down, Ilia," Akela warned once more. Ilia shook her head before swiping her weapon and creating a smoke screen that blinded them. When the smoke cleared, Ilia was gone.

-0-

Glaucus walked down the slowly reviving streets of Vale. This was the first time the city felt alive in any way after the Fall of Beacon. It was good to see the kingdom starting to get back on its feet after having to endure such a tragedy.

It was a shame that Goodwitch wasn't here to watch it. She had become so obsessed with getting the Relic of Choice that she refused to leave Beacon until she had secured it.

Then again, how could she? She didn't have Ozpin's cane to get into the Relic's vault nor the Maiden to open it. Her only chance of securing the Relic of any kind was to take back the Academy, which was impossible right now, considering all of their losses and the endless Grimm they were up against.

"Help!" a voice called out. Glaucus turned to see Fox Alistair rushing towards him, out of breath and panting heavily.

"What's going on?" he asked as he rushed up to him.

"Goodwitch…ambushed…Iron Knights," Fox explained in breaths as he panted.

"Glynda was ambushed?" the Gray Wanderer asked. Fox looked up and nodded his head.

"The Knights…had AB ammo," he continued. Glaucus's eyes widened in horror at this revelation.

He had heard about how Atlas had been studying Aura from a scientific perspective and, therefore, were developing ammo capable of piercing it and killing the person in one hit. The purpose of this ammo would be to hunt down rogue or outlaw Huntsmen, which would give their pursuers an advantage since their Auras would be useless in defending against this ammunition.

"How could the Iron Knights get AB rounds?" he wondered.

"Everyone else…could've been captured," Fox continued. "They need help. We have to save them."

"And we will," Glaucus assured. "First, we must organize a rescue force. Do you plan on coming with us?"

"Yes," Fox answered.

"Alright," Glaucus replied. "We need to gather a force quickly. But before we do, did you see anyone else besides the Iron Knights?"

"I didn't see anyone," Fox answered. "But I did see Goodwitch get dragged off by wires."

"Wires?" Glaucus asked. "Are you certain?"

"Yeah," the member of Team CFVY confirmed.

"Valkoin," he whispered. "We must hurry."

Glaucus and Fox went around Vale, asking for help in rescuing Goodwitch. Some of them, who had deserted her due to her irrational behavior, refused, but luckily managed to recruit several professional Huntsmen. Sadly, they didn't have enough, so they had to turn to recruiting students.

He knocked on the door of the Kendrick residence, immediately hearing barking from Siocled. The barking was silenced and the door opened to Math, who greeted Glaucus with a smile. However, after seeing the solemn expression on his mentor's face, his smile dropped.

"Is everything okay?" he asked as Pyrrha, Safirlas and Corcra joined in.

"Goodwitch's force has been ambushed by the Iron Knights," Glaucus informed.

As soon as those words came out of his mouth, Saf's eyes widened. It was exactly like the dream she had weeks ago when she saw Goodwitch and the rescue force captured by demons. She had suspected it was possibly her Semblance evolving, but she was unsure of it, so she had kept it to herself.

"When did this happen?" Corcra asked.

"A few hours ago," the Gray Wanderer answered. "Fox Alistair of Team CFVY came back and warned me. We're gathering a rescue force to go and save them. But there is a grievous danger."

"What danger?" Pyrrha asked.

"The Iron Knights have gotten their hands on AB ammunition," he explained. "It means 'Aura Breaking'. It's capable of tearing through your Aura and killing you in one hit."

"What?" Math gasped. "You can't be serious. There's a type of ammunition capable of killing Huntsmen with their Auras up?"

"Unfortunately," Glaucus answered. "I know you three have been recovering from the Fall of Beacon, but I must ask-"

"Yes," Pyrrha interrupted. "I'll help."

"Make that two," Math complied.

"I will as well," Corcra agreed before looking over to Safirlas. "What about you? Will you come? We won't hold it against you if you don't."

Saf had been working on her skills, but a part of her didn't feel ready to return to the field. On the other hand, she felt that if she had brought her dream to someone's attention, then perhaps they could've prevented Goodwitch's force from being captured.

They were in danger now, especially with the Iron Knights having obtained ammunition capable of tearing through Aura and killing Huntsmen effectively. They needed all the help they could get to go and bring them back.

"I'm in," Saf responded.

"Alright, get your weapons," Corcra told them. "When do we go?"

"As soon as possible," Glaucus answered.

-0-

There was a knock at the home of Anrydd and Gwyn Kendrick. Robin was the first to get it and was shocked to see Fox Alistair standing there. His scowl soured a bit, knowing of what had happened between him and Coco months earlier.

"Fox?" he asked. "What's going on?"

"Goodwitch's force was ambushed," he informed.

"Ambushed?" Ruo asked as he walked over. "What happened? Grimm?"

"Iron Knights," Fox explained. "They used some kind of ammunition capable of breaking through our Auras and killing us."

"Are you serious?" Ruo asked.

"I'm afraid so," Fox confirmed.

"What about Coco?" the archer asked. "Did she escape?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he responded.

"Look, I screwed up," Robin confessed. "Please, I need to know. Is she okay?"

"I don't know," Fox answered. "She was captured along with the rest of them."

"Oh no," Robin whispered. "Let me get my gear." He rushed back inside to get his weapon, running into his brother.

"What's going on?" Dearg asked.

"Goodwitch's force was attacked by the Iron Knights," Robin answered. "Coco was with them. We have to go."

"Then I'm coming with," Dearg replied. "I'll go get my weapons."

"Same here," Ruo stated as he rushed off to get Huzhao.

-0-

Nasser had been training with Hafashahn and Lildifae for several weeks now. He had gotten the shield down, but he wasn't as skilled with the axe.

It was very different from his knives, which he had learned to use to great effect. He could extend them by their chains and attack from a distance, quickly and brutally. It also helped with his Semblance, since he could store and redirect kinetic energy.

The axe and shield were a deadly combination, but he was not fully skilled with it yet. He thought of modifying it so he could attach a chain to it, but considering that he didn't know how it was made, doing so could risk damaging the weapon; worse, he could flat out break it.

He didn't have the money or resources to make new weapons, so he had to make due with the ones his mother had given him.

Today, he was sparring with Octavia to heighten his axe fighting. The two of them traded blows with one another, but Nasser knew to be careful since she lacked durability, just like Robin.

"Man, you're getting better with that axe," she commented after they ended their match.

"Thanks," Nasser responded. "I really appreciate that my mom had these. But I just don't know if I'll be as good with it as I was with Shafarnasr."

"Sure, you can," Octavia insisted. "It'll just take time." The two of them sat down against a tree as they put their weapons away.

"How's Dew?" he asked. "I know she got a bit banged up."

"She's fine," Octavia answered as she tended to her Kris. "She wasn't hurt real bad. But…there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Nas asked her. Octavia sighed, preparing to say something she felt her boyfriend wouldn't like.

"We're going back to Vacuo," she answered. "We're leaving in a week to leave."

"You're leaving?" the axe wielder asked.

"We stayed here because we wanted to help take Beacon back," Octavia explained. "But since Goodwitch went off the deep end and…well, there's no reason for us to stay anymore. We want to go back and continue our training to become Huntresses."

"I can understand that," Nasser responded. "So…what happens to us then?"

"Well…why don't you and your team come with us?" she asked. "We could attend Shade together." She reached over and grabbed his hand lovingly.

"I want to be with you, Nas," she stated, making the axe user blush.

He loved Octavia. Ever since she had come to Beacon, he had been conflicted about his feelings for her, but now they realized their affections for each other. He wanted to be with her just as much as she did.

However, he didn't know how his team was holding up; he hadn't kept in contact with them. All he knew was that Ruo was looking after Yang, Robin had lost his eyes and Mathdon had been unable to continue his training since his arm was injured. He didn't know if they could go to Shade with everything that's happened. He wouldn't go without them for any reason.

"I love you, too, Octavia," Nasser confessed. "But…I don't know how things are going with my teammates. I can't go to Shade without them. They're like my brothers."

"Why don't you go and check with them?" she suggested. "Maybe they'll be open to the idea of attending Shade."

"Maybe," Nasser replied. "But with Pyrrha injured and Ruo helping Yang, I don't know."

"I just don't want to have to end our relationship because we're not attending the same school," Octavia replied.

"Me neither," Nasser agreed, then leaned over and kiss Octavia, who sunk into it. When their kissing lasted for over a minute, he decided to make a bold move and move his hand to Octavia's rear. Instead of pulling away, she moaned and moved her hands to mess with Nasser's hair.

"Am I interrupting?" Nebula asked, making the two of them break away in a hurry.

"What the hell, Nebula?" Octavia questioned.

"Sorry, but we need all the help we can get," the leader of NDGO answered. "Goodwitch's force was attacked by the Iron Knights."

"What?" Nasser gasped as he got onto his feet. "How do you know?"

"Fox came back and told Glaucus," Nebula answered. "We're gathering a rescue force to go and save them."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Octavia asked. "Let's go. Are you coming, Nasser?"

The axe user was hesitant to do so since he didn't feel confident in his axe and shield skills yet. He didn't know if he was ready to go back into action and fight to save the force from the Iron Knights.

"Nasser, please," Nebula insisted. "We need everyone we can get."

"Okay," Nasser answered. "Let's go." The three of them hurried to meet up with everyone.

-0-

Ren and Nora looked around the area they were scouting ahead, hoping to find the quick road to Mistral. To Ren's dismay, it was proving much more difficult than anticipated.

"We never get the easy path, do we?" he asked.

"That's fine," Nora replied. "Easy is no fun anyway." She noticed the look of worry on her partner's face and lost her smile.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm just hoping Ruby and Jaune are fine," he answered. "To be honest, I'm still wrapping my head around all this. Is this all truly part of some war Ozpin's been fighting?"

"Well, hopefully we'll learn everything soon enough," Nora responded. "I'm honestly confused about all of this as well. But how could Ozpin honestly think it's even remotely okay to force the Maiden powers onto Pyrrha?"

"So that explains why Pyrrha wouldn't talk about it," Ren deduced. "This sounds like something they need to keep hidden."

"I just wish she had told us," Nora replied. "But I understand if it was too traumatizing for her."

"There is something else that's worrying me," Ren admitted. "Didn't Qrow say that Ozpin hadn't heard from Professor Lionheart in ages?"

"Yeah, he did," Nora remembered. "Why do you think?"

"Well…I don't know yet, but…maybe I shouldn't say," Ren replied. Nora reached out to touch his arm with her usual warm smile.

"You can tell me," she replied. "If you want it kept between us, I'll do it." Ren smiled back and nodded his head.

"What if Professor Lionheart's working for Salem?" he suggested.

"What?" Nora asked, raising her eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, Qrow said that Cinder, Emerald and Mercury came from Haven," the ninja explained. "Shouldn't have Lionheart told Ozpin that Cinder and her team weren't in the system once he recognized them during the Tournament?"

"Or they could've used fake transcripts," Nora suggested. "You do make a point. If the Headmasters are supposed to keep in contact with Ozpin, why didn't Lionheart?"

"It's not something I'm prepared to tell the others," Ren admitted. "We don't have any evidence of any sort. Hopefully, we'll find out more once we get to Haven."

"Yeah," Nora replied. Since they were alone, the hammer user saw it as her chance to get something else off of her own chest.

"Hey, Ren," she addressed.

"What is it?" he asked. The hammer user tried to speak, but her mouth wouldn't let the words get out. All of her attempts to confess her feelings for Ren kept falling short.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "We need to get up the mountain as soon-"

"I love you!"

Those three words made Ren stop dead in his tracks. He slowly turned around to look at the madly blushing hammer girl, covering her face.

"What?" he asked, unsure if he had heard correctly. Nora took a deep breath and moved her hands away from her face.

"I…love you," she repeated. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but I wasn't sure how'd you react. So I kept them to myself since I didn't want to jeopardize a friendship in case you didn't feel the same way. I just really care about you, Ren, and I don't-" Ren touching Nora's hand made her stop her nervous ramble. He didn't say anything, nor did she. But as she saw his lips come closer to hers, she closed her eyes and prepared to kiss the man she had fallen in love with.

AAARRRRRHHHHHHHH!

A bone-chilling screech immediately alerted them. They looked to a cave to see something walking to the entrance.

"Hide!" Ren insisted as he pulled Nora behind a tree and waited there. The creature that walked out of the cave…was none other than the same one that had destroyed their village years ago.

"You," Ren growled, tightening his grip on the branch he was holding onto.

"Ren, don't," Nora said as she held his hand. "Don't attract it." The Nuckelavee looked around almost as if it was twitching. It did this for a few moments before stopping and looking off in the direction opposite of the cave. It then slowly strolled down the mountain and into the forest, heading in that direction. When they were sure it was gone, Ren and Nora got out of their hiding spot.

"That's the Grimm," Nora pointed out.

"I know," Ren responded. He narrowed his eyes to look in the direction of where the Nuckelavee was heading to. When he took out his scroll and turned on the compass, his heart dropped.

"They're heading to Kuroyuri!" he deduced. "We need to get there and warn Ruby and Jaune!" The two of them hurried off in the direction that the Nuckelavee Grimm was heading.

Ruby and Jaune were in grave danger. If they didn't reach them before the Grimm did…they didn't want to think about it'


	18. Planning the Rescue

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 18: Planning the Rescue**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

 **Author's Notes: I'd like to give a shoutout to all the Fanfics I'm reading right now!**

 **Someone Special (Yang x Male Reader) by SlinkyDog**

 **Team SLVR: A Beacon of Hope by DarkHero12**

 **The Wanderer by Red Eyes Shadow Dragon**

 **ALMD: Volume 1 by Je'daii1298**

 **I'm also curious to hear what you think of how I've done with Pyrrha so far (since she died in canon at the end of Volume 3).**

"Math!" Robin called out as he approached the rescue force, numbering around 70 people, comprised of both professional Huntsmen and students.

"Robin! Ruo!" he called back as the three friends embraced one another before seeing Nasser.

"Nasser!" Math called out.

"Guys!" the axe user replied before hugging each of them. "What's been happening?"

"First off, I'm able to see again," Robin commented as he gestured to his glasses. "Best part is it comes with different modes. I've been testing them out."

"Glad to hear that," Math responded. "What about you, Nasser? That a new weapon?"

"Uh, no, I decided to give up being a Huntsman and now make a living being a carrier for pros," Nasser responded. "Yes, it's a new weapon."

"What happened to Shafarnasr?" Ruo asked.

"They were broken," Nasser answered. "Luckily, my mom had these on hand. She was going to give them to Cassim, but…"

"Yeah," Robin replied before looking over to his cousin. "How's your arm? And what are YOUR new weapons?" Math pulled up the sleeve of his jacket far enough to show the metal in his arm brace.

"It helps me be able to use a sword again," the swordsman informed before pulling the sleeve down. "After I got this, Pyrrha and I forged new weapons." He then unsheathed Dochas-Mhadaidh from the scabbard on his belt and showed it to his teammates.

"What is that in the blade?" Ruo asked.

"It's a Damascus pattern," Math answered. "This particular one is Sharktooth. And this is my new shield, Torrach." He took his shield off of his back and showed it to everyone.

"Why the emblem change?" Robin asked.

"I felt I needed it," Math answered. "I'll explain more when we come back from the rescue."

"What about you, Ruo?" Nasser asked. "I thought you were on Patch." Ruo's expression faded into one of sadness and emptiness.

"Yang and I fell out," he answered. "We're no longer on speaking terms."

"Sorry to hear that," Math responded. "I hope you and her can make up."

"I don't know," Ruo responded. "Even though she received a prosthetic like you two, she still insisted on moping around and doing nothing. I decided to leave and was able to stay at Robin's place for the meantime."

"How's Safirlas?" Robin asked his cousin.

"I'm doing better," she responded as she walked in on them with Pyrrha. "It's great to see you guys again."

"You too, Saf," Robin greeted. "And you, Pyrrha."

"Hello," she greeted them.

"Damn, I like the new armor," Nasser complimented.

"Thank you," Pyrrha responded.

"So, who'll be taking care of Siocled while you're gone?" Robin asked.

"We took her over to our neighbor like we always have," Math answered. "They'll look after her until we come back."

Just then, the group fell silent as Glaucus stood in front of everyone, a stern expression of determination and discipline on his scowl.

"Thank you all for coming," he greeted. "For any of you who weren't informed, this is a rescue mission. Several hours ago, Professor Glynda Goodwitch and the force she led to retake Beacon was ambushed by Iron Knights. They were captured and are now most likely being held prisoner."

"It was bound to happen," one of the Huntsmen replied. "She was being completely irrational and pushing us without any concern. I would know, because I was there."

"Indeed, she had become irrational," Glaucus agreed. "But that does not mean we simply abandon her and the others to death. We must rescue them, but we will need to be much more cautious than ever."

"Why?" Dew asked.

"The Iron Knights have managed to get their hands on ammunition capable of penetrating our Auras and killing us in one hit," Glaucus explained, causing murmuring among the group.

"How could they've gotten their hands on ammo like that?" another Huntress questioned.

"How doesn't matter," Glaucus answered. "But before we can plan the rescue, we must start a recon. Dearg and Robin Kendrick have already volunteered to head the scouting party. Anyone else who wishes to join, please step forward." Mathdon, Ruo-Jian, Nasser, Pyrrha, Fox and Safirlas all stepped forward to volunteer. Glaucus waited several moments for anyone else, but no one else volunteered.

"Very well," he decided. "Be careful up there. The rest of us will set up further down the road to Beacon and await your return."

"Let's go," Math insisted as the scouting party hurried down the path to Beacon.

"The rest of us will head up and set up camp to await their return," Glaucus commanded. "Once they've come back, we'll formulate a plan to rescue them. Now, let's go."

-0-

The Iron Knights took pleasure in beating the captured Huntsmen and Huntresses, taunting them with their failures and calling them out on their hypocrisy and corruption.

"Hey, look at this big guy," one of then called, gesturing to Yatsu. "He looks pretty, doesn't he?"

"You're cowards," Yatsu replied. "You wouldn't be doing this if we had our weapons nor bound." One of the Knights bashed Yatsu in the face with his rifle.

"The only cowards are you," he replied. "We've seen what you 'protectors' do. You use your power to oppress those who cannot fight back. You use your status to stand above the law. You're nothing more than mercenaries who sell yourselves to the highest bidder."

"And your whole cause is pure hypocrisy!" Oobleck barked. "You accuse us of endangering innocent people, yet your actions have endangered the Kingdom of Vale. You gun down anyone who stands in your way, regardless if they are man, woman, child, elderly…I've seen the corpses of children who were no older than five years, gunned down by you."

"Shut up!" the same Knight shouted. "We killed those people because they sided with the wrong faction! What we're doing is justice!"

"What you're doing is slaughtering and massacring innocent people," Oobleck corrected. "You are so blinded by hatred that you cannot see that you have become just as evil and destructive as those you despise." The Knight pointed his gun at the Beacon Doctor.

"Shut it, Professor," he warned. "I won't hear anymore of your nonsense."

"Doctor," Oobleck corrected.

"You, keep watch," the Knight commanded another. "I'll go check in with the others." He then walked off, leaving one Knight to leave after the bound Huntsmen and Huntresses.

"You're right," the Knight admitted shamefully. "This isn't what we signed up for."

"Then why are you still supporting them?" Coco questioned. "What did the Huntsmen do to you that made you hate them so much?"

"My mother was a Huntress in Atlas," the Knight explained. "She was a hero to the public, but at home, she was a monster. He beat my father and I every day. We tried going to the police, but they did nothing because she was a Huntress. We confronted her, but all she said was "I am a Huntress. And I can do whatever. I. Want.". I won't support a society where they turn a blind eye to those who are mistreated by the 'protectors of Remnant'."

"That is why we made the Kingdom Special Units," Oobleck explained. "We realized our mistake in letting Huntsmen and Huntresses do whatever they want. We made those units to keep the Huntsmen and Huntresses in line."

"Only in the Kingdoms," the Knight replied. "But what about _outside_ the kingdoms? Do you do anything to stop THEM?"

"We cannot prevent every tragedy," Oobleck responded. "We're sorry for what happened to you-"

"It's not just about what happened to ME, it's about what happened to ALL of us," the Knight interrupted. "It's not just the Huntsmen, it's the SDC, the Kingdom Councils…everyone. The SDC uses forced labor, making people work hard hours with minimal pay while Jacques Schnee rolls around in the dough and NO ONE DOES ANYTHING! The workers have no future, their families have no future because of HIM! It took the Councils 65 years to realize how corrupt and selfish the Huntsmen truly were before they did a minimal effort by creating the Kingdom Special Units. That's not helpful, it's just a band-aid, nothing more."

"And you think what you've done is helping anyone?" Coco questioned. "This isn't justice, this is pure hatred." The Knight had a conflicted look on his face, which the fashionista caught sight of.

They had very valid points. Their goal was to exterminate the Huntsmen and the corrupt organizations that supported them. They wanted to free Remnant of their tyranny, to secure a better future for the people that had been oppressed. They believed that once the Huntsmen, SDC and all other corrupt organizations were wiped from the face of Remnant, they could rebuild the kingdoms into something better.

That was their goal…until Valkoin approached Nachtfel and succeeded in getting his cooperation. He wanted to feel assured that they were doing what was right, but this didn't feel like justice. No. It felt like revenge, destruction, and going against everything he believed there were supposed to be doing.

"The Huntsmen…brought this on…on themselves," the Knight answered. "We wouldn't have to do this if the 'protectors of Remnant' lived up to their name. But they don't, so they must be eliminated."

"If you believe so firmly in your cause, then why not go ahead and kill us?" Port challenged, making eye contact with the young man. The Knight raised his gun and aimed it at Port, his finger on the trigger.

He mentally commanded his finger to pull the trigger, but it wouldn't do so. His hand refused to move, to put a bullet in the Huntsman teacher who deserved it so much. He let out a groan of frustration as he lowered his weapon.

"You don't believe fully in their cause anymore, do you?" Port challenged. "Because this isn't what you signed up for."

A shot was heard and one of the students fell to the ground dead, the bullet wound located in his chest. The other Knight walked into the area, a smirk on his face before grabbing the corpse by the collar of his shirt and throwing it over the nearby ledge, allowing the Grimm to devour it.

"We only need a handful of you alive," the other Knight responded. "You think that student got away because he was lucky?"

"I know what you're doing," Oobleck deduced. "You're holding us hostage because you WANT more Huntsmen to come. You plan on slaughtering them."

"Rescue mission after rescue mission, they'll be killed off more and more," the Knight bragged. "When their losses become too great, that's when we go to Vale and wipe out what's left of them."

"It won't work," Oobleck stated. "You overestimate yourselves."

"Well, considering we have ammo capable of piercing through Aura and the numerous Grimm, I think the odds are in our favor," the Knight bragged once more. "Now be quiet…or you'll be next on the menu for those beasts."

-0-

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Glynda cried out as Valkoin's wires pulled on her limbs. The wire user smiled sadistically before loosening his grip, causing the wires to stop.

"Where is Ozpin's cane?" he questioned yet again.

"I don't know," Glynda responded, gasping from the pain of nearly being pulled apart. "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Oh, please," Valkoin refused to believe. "You were one of his closest lieutenants. You honestly expect me to believe that you have not a single idea of where the key to the Vault is? After all, you were the one leading the mission." A thought struck him, which made him laugh.

"What's so funny?" Goodwitch questioned.

"Your stupidity," he called out. "How can you secure the Relic when you don't have Ozpin's cane nor the Maiden?"

That thought struck Goodwitch like a brick. She had been so focused on trying to reclaim Beacon and secure the Relic that it didn't occur to her; she didn't have either of the two things needed to access the Relic. She had been so obsessed in her mission that she had forgotten several important details.

"Unfortunately, that's what happens when you're narrow-minded," Valkoin taunted. "Just like Ozpin."

"Ozpin wasn't narrow-minded," Glynda denied.

"Yes, he was," Valkoin answered. "If he wasn't, he would've have sent professional Huntsmen up north instead of a team of first-years, like he did with Mt. Glenn. Everything has to be his way; whenever someone suggested something different, they were shut down. He wasn't just a control freak, he was a failure."

"What are you talking about?" Goodwitch questioned.

"Salem cannot be killed," Valkoin answered. "Just like Ozpin, she'll keep coming back over and over again. Just like Ozpin, she cannot be killed for good."

"What…?" Goodwitch gasped lightly.

She didn't want to believe that was the truth. If it was, then everything they did was for nothing. All their sacrifices, all their fighting, all the friends, teachers and students they lost…all for nothing. That meant everything Ozpin built, everything he had done was all in vain for an enemy that cannot be defeated.

"No," she refused to believe. "You're wrong. Salem can be defeated."

"Ozpin had been on Remnant for thousands of years and he hasn't come any closer to defeating her," Valkoin brought up. "Face it; Ozpin is a coward, a liar, a hypocrite, and a failure. Everything we did for him was for nothing."

"Is this why you betrayed us?" Goodwitch questioned. "Because you though we cannot win!"

"Because of what he stole from me!" he roared, breaking his usual stoic expression. "I lost everything because of him…including my own brother." He then exhaled and regained his composed stature.

"I only need you alive for a little longer," Valkoin responded. "Once you've served your purpose, I will send you back to Ozpin…in pieces."

-0-

Robin and Dearg laid down on the grass of the cliff overlooking the ruins of the path to Beacon. Thanks to Robin's new glasses/ visor, he was able to deduce where the captured Huntsmen and Huntresses were being kept. To his surprise, Goodwitch wasn't with them.

"Well, most of them are there," Robin informed his brother. "From the look of it, they've been killing some of them and throwing their bodies to the Grimm. Gods, all that's left of them are their bones."

"Do you see Goodwitch?" Mathdon asked his cousin as he quietly approached them.

"No," Robin responded. "Let me take another look." He looked around, keeping his eyes open for Goodwitch. After a few moments, his mouth dropped when he saw Goodwitch…and the same man from their mission, Valkoin.

"Holy shit," he whispered.

"What?" Math asked.

"It's Valkoin," Robin whispered to his team leader.

"Are you serious?" Math asked.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "He has her tied to a wall. It's looks like she's been tortured. Hold on a minute." He zoomed in on some Iron Knights on patrol, luckily walking away from their position.

"So when can we go to Haven?" one of them asked. "I'm dying that to blow that place to hell."

"Our orders are to lure out the Huntsmen here until their losses become too great," the other Knight responded. "We helped destroy Beacon, so that's enough for me."

"Man," the other Knight complained.

"Stop whining. We need to get ready for when they arrive."

"We have to get back to Glaucus," Robin insisted. The three of them snuck back to the others, who were keeping an eye out for Iron Knights. When they heard Robin, Dearg and Math come back, they all turned their attention to them.

"We found them," Robin informed. "They're being held prisoner as we expected, but it looks like the Knights are killing some of them."

"What about Goodwitch?" Pyrrha asked.

"She's being held away from them," Robin answered. "But that's not all; they're preparing for us."

"Preparing?" Saf asked.

"They must be using the prisoners as bait to lure us out," the archer informed. "Their plan is to lure out as many Huntsmen as they can before our losses become too severe. And there's more."

"More?" Safirlas asked.

"They mentioned 'blowing the hell out of Haven'," Robin continued. "They must be targeting Haven after this."

Safirlas's heart raced after hearing that news. It was just like the dream she had when she saw Haven's destruction and the deaths of many of her friends. There had to be an explanation for her having those dreams that foretold events that would happen.

"We need to go back to Glaucus," Pyrrha stated. "We must make a plan to rescue them at once." The scouting party hurried away from their hiding spot and rushed back to the main force.

Safirlas was distracted by what Robin had said. If the Iron Knights planned on targeting Haven, then there's no telling what could happen. Countless people could be killed and Mistral would be in even more danger. From what she had heard, the other kingdoms were struggling to defend their borders.

She had learn the meaning behind this. She had to know if her Semblance was evolving…or if it was something else entirely.

-0-

Upon arriving back, the scouting party relayed all the information they had learned. When Haven and Valkoin were brought up, Glaucus seemed disturbed by it, but nonetheless thanked them for the information they gathered. After contemplating for nearly thirty minutes with Corcra and the scouting party, he came up with a plan and walked in front of the rescue party.

"Thanks to the information brought to us by the scouting party, we have a plan," Glaucus informed.

"We will split up into three groups. The first will be a distraction, luring the Iron Knights away from the prisoners. Dearg identified an area where you keep the high ground without the risk of being surrounded, which is why he will be joining that first group. The second will lie in wait until Dearg launches a signal for them to attack. The Iron Knights will be taken by surprise and unable to organize quickly. The third, comprising of no more than ten people, will rescue our friends during the fighting and get them to safety. Once that's done, Safirlas will launch a flare, signaling our retreat."

"What will you do?" one of the Huntsmen asked.

"I'm going after Goodwitch," Glaucus answered. "She's being kept apart from the rest of the captured Huntsmen. The man holding her prisoner is very dangerous, so I must go alone."

"But will you get out in time?" Corcra asked. "If this man truly is as dangerous as you claim, then shouldn't there be someone to watch your back?"

"I know him," Glaucus responded. "The rest of you don't, which is why I MUST go alone. And I WILL get out in time. Any questions?" No one spoke.

"Very well," Glaucus decided. "Choose where you're going and we'll move out as soon as we're ready." After some rearranging and such, Glaucus appointed Corcra in charge of the first party while Math was to lead the surprise attack and Safirlas was to lead the rescue group.

"You know what to do," Glaucus stated. "Now let's move."

 **Author's Notes: We're about to have an epic showdown (well, I hope it's epic for you)! Remember to vote on the new poll for how many stars you'd give the MRRN series! Keep reading!**


	19. Facing the Demons

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 19: Facing The Demons**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"This cannot be," Ghira spoke as he went through the scroll's files on his desk, surrounded by Kali, Blake, Sun, Akela and Bhaal.

"What is it?" Akela asked.

"Adam is planning to assault Haven Academy," the Chieftain of Menagerie informed. "If he succeeds, it'll be the Fall of Beacon all over again."

"We can't let that happen," Sun spoke. "Things are already bad enough for the Faunus as it is. If Haven falls, it'll be much worse there, considering Mistral's history with them."

"Does it say when they plan to do it?" Bhaal questioned.

"Before the beginning of the Fall Semester, two months from now," Ghira explained. "We must act."

"We have to destroy the White Fang, once and for all," Sun suggested.

"No," Blake refused, standing up from her seat. "We won't destroy the White Fang. We're taking it back."

"That's easier said than done," Bhaal answered. "Many in the White Fang are keener on supporting Sienna and Adam's approach than your father's. Convincing them to accept your father's leadership again will be difficult."

"Bhaal, don't you think you're being cynical?" Kali asked.

"I'm being realistic," the Bear Faunus replied. "Many of the White Fang disliked Ghira's peaceful approach to encounters with humans."

"You know why I had to do it," Ghira replied. "The relationship between Humans and Faunus is strained enough. If we had resorted to killing those humans-"

"Not unless we fought to defend ourselves," Bhaal interrupted. "I agree that we shouldn't use violence as a first option, but you scolded us for even considering it, especially when it was obvious we needed to fight back."

"You know why," Ghira responded, his voice becoming stern. "Humanity could've used-"

"Stop it," Kali silenced them. "I know you two don't always see eye to eye, but we have a bigger problem." Bhaal and Ghira looked at each other before deciding to table their argument of ideals.

"How does Adam plan to lead the assault?" Akela asked. "Sienna is High Leader, not him. She'd never condone another assault on a Huntsman Academy."

"He's planning to overthrow her and take control," Ghira answered. "It doesn't say whether he'll just imprison her or kill her. Whatever he plans to do, he has the backing of most of the White Fang. From the look of things, many in the organization are praising him for his role in the Fall of Beacon."

"Does it say how big of an assault he's planning?" Blake asked.

"Full-scale," Ghira confirmed. "To make matters worse, the Iron Knights are joining in on the assault."

"Are you kidding?" Sun gasped. "The White Fang and the Iron Knights?"

"The Huntsmen will be overwhelmed," Blake brought up. "If they're successful-"

"We mustn't let it happen," Ghira cut off. "We know Adam's plan. Now, we must act."

"You mean move out against them?" Bhaal questioned. "The only forces we have are your personal guard and my warriors. That'd round us up to 80 at the most. We don't have the numbers."

"Then we recruit," Ghira suggested.

"You want to go public with this?" Bhaal asked. "If we tell everyone in Menagerie, then the White Fang will be prepared for us should we arrive."

"The people of Menagerie deserve to know why we've been suffering much more lately," Ghira responded. "We cannot keep this a secret. We must come forth with this. Once we do, I believe that there will some willing to fight and defend Haven."

"Ghira, many of the Faunus are here because they don't want to fight," Bhaal brought up. "You want to ask them to put their lives on the line for the same species that discriminated them for being who they are. Plus, many of them have never fought before; the Faunus of the White Fang have fighting all their lives, they're trained warriors. If we plan to stop Adam's assault on Haven, we need soldiers."

"Then we train them," Ghira replied. "We have two months before the assault happens."

"Training them isn't our only obstacle," Bhaal pointed out. "Two months to arrange transportation, warn the Mistral authorities, get the weapons we need. If you plan on going public with this, then our countermeasures will also be an important factor."

"Countermeasures?" Sun asked.

"The White Fang are here in Menagerie, including those loyal to Adam Taurus," Akela reminded everyone. "Once they learn we plan to stop them, there's no telling of what they may do to sabotage our efforts."

"This is something we cannot ignore," Blake insisted. "Ever since the Fall of Beacon, things in the Kingdoms have grown worse. Mistral has the most territory out of all of them and it makes it harder to defend. The Huntsmen alone do not have the strength to fight both the White Fang and the Iron Knights. We must act."

"And we will," Ghira assured. "I will prepare to address the public the day after tomorrow."

After the meeting was concluded, Blake felt relieved that they were going to act and stop a repeat of the Fall of Beacon. If they were successful, they'd have a chance of taking back the White Fang.

Sadly, Bhaal and Akela brought up valid points. The Faunus of Menagerie came here because they were tired of the fighting and prejudice. How could they be convinced to lay their lives down for the same species that had hated them for no justifiable reason other than being different?

Most of them had never fought before and would need time to train, which they only had a two-month timespan. They'd also need to arrange transportation, warn the authorities and plan countermeasures should the White Fang plan to sabotage their efforts to raise a militia.

"You okay, Blake?" Sun asked as he approached her.

"I'm fine," she answered. The Monkey Faunus then placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll stop them," he assured.

"Sun," Blake addressed, turning to face him completely. "I need to apologize." The Monkey raised an eyebrow.

"You were right about everything," she started. "I wanted equality for Faunus and I spoke so passionately about it, but I was so overcome by fear that I wasn't willing to carry out my beliefs. I stood by and did nothing while other Faunus continued to be hated, threatened and killed every day. I should've stood out for them."

"Blake," Sun spoke gently.

"I always run. I thought I was keeping them safe, but all I was doing was hurting them. All I was doing was running from my past while others paid for it." Her remorseful expression changed to determination and resolve.

"No more," she stated. "I'm done running. I need to do what's right; for the Faunus, for my friends, for my family…and for me."

Sun smiled at the resolve of the Cat Faunus. It was great to see that she was finally seeing clearly. She was ready to face her problems instead of running and hurting everyone she loved.

"That night…I'm sorry I said those things to you," she apologized. "I didn't want to face the fact that I was just running. I wanted to believe that…" She sighed.

"I'm just really glad you listened," Sun replied with a bright smile.

"So…we're good?" Blake asked, to which Sun nodded his head.

"But…I'm not ready," she added, much to Sun's confusion.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"To be…to be in a relationship right now," Blake answered as gently as she could to avoid hurting Sun. "I need to get myself straight before I feel confident about committing to something like that."

Sun couldn't lie to himself; that did hurt a bit. He hoped to be with Blake, but she had a point. She had a lot of personal stuff to work out before she could truly commit to a relationship.

"Sun…if I do feel ready in the future, I can't…I can't promise it'll be you," she reluctantly confessed. "I know you didn't want to hear that, but I needed to be honest."

"I appreciate that," the Monkey Faunus replied, though Blake could easily sense his loss of enthusiasm.

She didn't want to lead him on. She knew he had feelings for her, but as she just said, she needed to sort out her life and herself before she could commit to a relationship. They had much bigger issues to worry about.

"Well, whatever happens, I'm glad to be here for you," Sun stated.

"Thank you," Blake responded.

It was time to stop running. It was time to not let her fear dictate her future. It was time to stand up for what she believed in.

It was time to face her past and say she will no longer run.

-0-

Yang knelt down, spraying yellow paint on her new cybernetic arm to give it a yellow and black coloring. When she was satisfied, she nodded her head and put the spray can down before reconnecting it to her arm.

She walked over to the shed and entered to pull a large cloth off of Bumblebee. It had collected dust from the months she hadn't drove it and she didn't know how its condition was.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Tai asked as he leaned on the doorframe.

"I think I am," Yang answered. "Are you going to try and stop me?" Tai chuckled before rubbing his shoulder.

"No," she answered. "I think I'm still too sore from our last fight. Besides, I wanted a better goodbye than a note this time." He paused.

"I need to ask you something," he said.

"What is it?" Yang asked, turning around to face him.

"Where are you going?" he asked. Yang raised an eyebrow in confusion, unsure of what her father meant.

"You know about Raven, but Ruby's also heading to Mistral," he explained. "Qrow said that his tribe was in Anima, west of Mistral. But if you plan on going to see her, you need to be careful. She's not the woman I first met at Beacon."

"I know what you said," Yang responded. "You can't blame yourself for that."

"That's not it," Tai replied. "You know Qrow went with Ruby, right?"

"He told me he'd look after her," the blonde brawler acknowledged. "What does that have to do with Raven?"

"Her Semblance," Tai answered. "She can bond to people, like Qrow, you, and me. When she does, she can create a portal that leads right to them."

Yang remembered seeing a red portal during her mission to Mt. Glenn. She hadn't caught much of the person walking through it, but there was no mistaking the mass of red and black that swirled together, allowing them to leave.

"So that's how she got to me so fast," Yang realized.

"Huh?" Tai asked.

"I saw Raven…on our mission to Mt. Glenn," she explained, much to Tai's surprise.

"You saw her?" he asked.

"Well, she walked through the portal before I could get a good look," Yang continued. "I was fighting one of Torchwick's henchmen, but she nearly got the better of me. I would've died if Raven hadn't come. So I just…I don't understand."

"Understand?" Tai asked.

"Why did she abandon us?" she asked. "Was it because she was too selfish to care about anyone but herself?"

"Well…to be honest, when Raven was first pregnant with you, she didn't take it well at first," her father revealed. "Even when I had dated her, she never brought up the idea of having children, but she never spoke out against it."

"So she never wanted to be a mom?" Yang questioned.

"I honestly don't know," Tai confessed. "Like I said, she was very complicated. One thing was always clear about her: she saw strength as the only thing you need in a fight, just like you did." Just then, Zwei stepped inside and sat in front of Yang, making her kneel and pet the cute corgi. When she was done, she stood back up on her feet.

"You and Raven both acted like the best way around an obstacle is go through it," Tai explained. "She never bothered to think of another way. She never gave up her belief that strength is all that mattered. She never bothered to find another way around like you did." Yang looked at her cybernetic arm, moving it around a bit.

This pain was what forced Yang to realize the changes she needed to make. She needed to stop fighting with only brute force. She had to control her anger or she would alienate everyone she loved just as Raven did and she had no intention of going down that road any longer.

"Yang, are you sure you're ready?" Tai asked, showing slivers of doubt. Even though she had greatly improved, showing signs of learning to control her anger and be less dependent on her Semblance, he had doubts that she hadn't fully overcome the personality that had cost her arm.

"I am," Yang assured.

"Then tell me: which way are you going?" Tai asked again.

-0-

Forest, Sterling and Ruadh were continuing their way across Sanus, looking for the Iron Knights and hoping to discover their plans. Again, they had no luck. Whatever they were planning to do, they were keeping it very close to the chest.

"There has to be something," Forest groaned, frustrated at himself for not having found anything. "What is there?" As frustrated as he was, he was being careful not to think of too many negative emotions so he wouldn't attract Grimm.

They came to a stop when they saw something unusual.

Three armored warriors, armed with katanas, knelt down on the road as if they had been expecting them. They wore helmets resembling horned demons, steel plate armor and black and red clothes that went over their shoulders and down their legs, nearly resembling the samurai from Mistral's ancient history.

"Who are they?" Sterling wondered.

"Hey!" Ruadh called out. "You're in the middle of the road! I'd suggest you move."

"You're not going anywhere," one of them spoke.

"Who are you?" Forest questioned. The three warriors rose up to stand on their feet and glared at the three Huntsmen.

"We are the Oni, the elite warriors trained by Nachtfel himself," another one spoke. "And we have been tasked with destroying you." The three of them pulled their katanas and took battle stances, prompting the three Huntsmen to pull out their own weapons and prepared for a fight.

In a flash, each of the Oni rushed towards the Huntsmen. The one attacking Forest unleashed a barrage of slashes on the Huntsman, which he deflected and blocked. The eagle parried the katana again before punching the Oni's chest with his gauntlet.

The Oni simply laughed, much to Forest's confusion before he noticed that his attack had made no effect on the Iron Knight. The Oni grabbed Forest by his throat and threw him into the ground, creating a small crater and causing Forest's green Aura to shimmer.

"That is not normal human strength for a non-Huntsman," the eagle deduced.

On Sterling's end, he deflected the katana strikes from the Oni, but he was amazed by how fast and strong he was. He had already shot several arrows at him, but his armor seemed impenetrable. He had to find a weak spot of any kind to exploit.

The Oni kept up the assault on him, making the Snow Fox Faunus leap into the trees, hoping to find some relief from the Oni's attacks. He nocked an arrow onto his bowstring and pricked his ears open to listen for his opponent's movements. He heard a 'whoosh' before the katana slice halfway through the tree he was hiding behind.

How could the Oni strike with such force, especially since they didn't have any Auras active? The Oni's armor was plain and simple, no technological modifications whatsoever; the armor couldn't be the cause of their superhuman attributes. There had to be something that Sterling was missing.

Ruadh swung his axe at the Oni, gliding off the breastplate protecting his chest. Luckily, the axe user recovered in time to defend himself against the Oni's katana strike, but was unable to defend a powerful one that struck his torso, making his red Aura shimmer.

Ruadh was surprised by how on par the Oni was with him, especially with no Aura. He had never met a non-Huntsman foe with such strength and skill before, but he noticed that his abilities were way too strong for any normal person.

The Oni slashed at him again, doing what he could to keep Ruadh on the defensive, but the axe user finally found an opening and turned the tables, striking the Oni's armor once more. Again, it just glided off and threw Ruadh off balance, quickly allowing the Oni to take the offensive.

Forest constantly clashed with the demon swordsman, trading blows with him as they knocked each other back, struck each other, and landed hit after hit. The Oni was a much more skilled fighter than Forest anticipated; he knew that the Elite of the Iron Knights would definitely be strong, but able to fight on equal terms with him? That made Forest a bit nervous to know that Nachtfel had trained elite warriors capable of fighting expert Huntsmen in a one-on-one duel.

The Oni kicked Forest and knocked him through a tree, depleting his Aura even more. The eagle recovered in time to dodge an attack from the Oni.

There had to be a weakness of some kind in these armored fighters, but what could it be?

Sterling stayed agile as he dodged the Oni's katana strikes to spot where a possible opening was. When he finally noticed it, he knew what to do.

He nocked an arrow onto the bowstring and shot at the Oni's neck, which was not fully protected by the helmet. It pierced through his neck, but he didn't fall down. Instead, he pulled the arrow out of his neck and threw it away.

"Don't you see?" the Oni questioned. "We will not be stopped."

When blood dripped out of the Oni's neck, Sterling realized that it was blue instead of red. Could the Oni have some kind of internal enhancements, perhaps cybernetics or a serum?

He drew a Lightning Dust arrow from his quiver, leapt over the Oni and shot at his neck. The Oni deflected the arrow with the katana, knocking it aside. Sterling reached for another Lightning Dust arrow, but didn't nock it on his bowstring. Instead, he leapt down the branches of the tree, followed by the Oni.

The Oni kept following him until he lost sight of the Snow Fox Faunus. He held his blade up, prepared to deflect any attack that came at him.

He felt an arrow pierce him in the back of his knee, but it didn't bring him down. Another arrow then pierced his neck, it being the Lightning Dust arrow. It electrocuted him, causing him to scream in pain for a few moments before ultimately falling onto his hands. He was weakened and barely able to move.

"Cybernetic enhancements implanted inside your body," Sterling said as he approached the Oni. "You're willing to do such a thing for Nachtfel?"

"I do this for the future of Remnant," the Oni responded before taking the katana and holding backwards. "Now I die because I have failed." Sterling shot an arrow at the sword, but it simply bounced off.

"My armor is stronger than you think," the Oni responded before impaling himself in the lower part of his torso and falling off the branch onto the ground.

" _They have cybernetic enhancements in their body,"_ Sterling told Ruadh and Forest over his telepathic link. _"Their weak spots are in the neck, their lower torso, and behind the knee."_

"Thanks, Sterling," Forest replied before feeling the last of his Aura go down from a punch from the Oni he was facing. The demon swordsman then proceeded to unleash another barrage of slashes on the eagle, which he deflected and blocked.

Forest swung his leg at the Oni's to trip him, but it did nothing. The Oni brought his fist on Forest, though he dodged in time and swung his sword at the back of the Oni's knee. This finally allowed him to land an effective hit on his opponent; as suspected, the cybernetic enhancements allowed him to endure that pain and keep standing on his feet. Forest quickly followed by a slash at his torso; the Oni blocked the attack and pushed the swordsman back.

"We will do whatever it takes to see our goal fulfilled," the Oni proclaimed. The eagle swordsman stayed on the defensive as the Oni attacked once more. Forest finally found his opening and chopped at the warrior's neck. When it didn't finish him, he swung again. The Oni grabbed his neck as blue blood flowed from it like a waterfall and caused him to bleed to death.

"I've never fought someone like that before," Forest breathed, still believing that an Iron Knight other than Nachtfel was able to face him in a one-on-one duel, especially when they had no Aura.

After taking his moment to regain his breath, he hurried to find Ruadh.

The axe user was standing his ground against the Oni he was fighting, but he was definitely much stronger than anticipated. The Oni slashed at him, hitting his face before grabbing him by his beard and throwing him into a tree.

After recovering from the attack, Ruadh quickly loaded a rocket into his weapon and aimed at the Oni now leaping at him. He fired and hit him, but all it did was send him tumbling onto the ground.

"What are you?" Ruadh questioned as the Oni got up.

"We are the Disciples of Nachtfel," the swordsman answered before attacking again, not even seeming to be slowed down by the rocket blast. Ruadh struck the blade, hoping to knock it out of the Oni's hands, but all the attack did was make the enemy stumble a bit.

"Neck, lower torso, and behind the knee," Ruadh remembered as he prepared for another assault. The Oni attacked again, delivering barrages of katana strikes at Ruadh before he finally found an opening. He deflected the blade with a wide swing of his axe and then cleaved it deeply into the warrior's lower stomach.

To his shock, it was blue instead of red. It looked like slime instead of blood at this point, disgusting Ruadh fully; not just because of how it looked, but how a person could do this to their bodies.

"This is disgusting," he snarled as he pulled his axe blade out and struck again, killing the Oni once more.

"Ruadh!" Forest called out as he emerged. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," he assured. "Did you see their blood?"

"Yes," Forest confirmed, disgusted by it as well. When he examined the Oni's body, he noticed a scroll in the sack in the back of his armor. He took it out and started looking through the messages until one caught his eye.

" _Get rid of the three Huntsmen: Forest Kotka, Sterling Silver, and Ruadh Davis. They must not stand in the way of our assault on Sanctuary. Once you've killed them, contact me immediately. Even they won't be a match for you."_

"Sanctuary?" Forest questioned as Sterling arrived. "What does that-?"

"Haven!" Sterling gasped.

"What?" Forest asked.

"In the early years of the Academies, the people of Mantle called the Mistral Academy 'Sanctuary' instead of Haven," Sterling explained. "They called it that as a way to honor their alliance with Mistral during the Great War. When Atlas became the new Kingdom, they just called it by its actual name instead of Sanctuary."

"Then we know where to go," Forest stated. "We must get to Haven immediately. Once we find a place with reception, we'll contact Glaucus."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ruadh insisted.

The three Huntsmen headed off east to find a transport to Haven. As they did, the fights with the Oni stayed in their minds.

How many of those warriors were there? One of them was much more than a challenge for even them and they were veteran Huntsmen. The Iron Knights were growing stronger by the day.

They had to be stopped. Salem had to be stopped.

 **Author's Notes: Darth Stigma, who has been reading my series for a while, gave me the idea of the Oni. I'd like to give a shoutout to him for helping me with a lot of things in my series!**


	20. Huntsmen vs Iron Knights

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 20: Huntsmen vs. Iron Knights**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"Is everyone ready?" Corcra asked the Huntsmen, having quietly made their way to the position found by Dearg. Behind them was a ruined wall with no openings, which would cover them from behind. They had plenty of cover in the front with rocks and ruins, making it easy for their long-range fighters to hide from the AB ammunition. The area was confined by standing walls and was only accessible from two ways.

"We're ready," Dearg assured.

"Alright," Corcra responded. "Dearg, Robin, you two know what to do. Get their attention and bring them here. Everyone else, prepare for combat and be careful." Dearg and Robin hurried off to find the Iron Knights and begin their plan to rescue their comrades.

"Are we sure about this?" Nebula asked. "This isn't exactly the best strategy."

"It's not our best," Corcra agreed. "But right now, it's what we have. The lives of our friends are depending on us."

"None of this would've happened if Goodwitch hadn't been an unreasonable bitch," Nasser growled.

"Watch your language," Corcra sternly told him. "Now is not the time to play the blame game. Now is the time to focus on saving our friends. Is everyone ready?" They all acknowledged being prepared for the undoubtedly intense battle to come.

"Alright," the guandao user responded. "They may outnumber fifty-to-one, but the confined space here will take away that advantage. But everyone be extra careful; their AB ammunition will kill you in one hit if they hit a vital area."

On the other side of the area, Math and his surprise force were lying in wait for their time to attack the Knights after they had been lured here. Pyrrha and Ruo were next to him, each one on a different side of him.

"Do you really think the Iron Knights will take the bait?" Ruo questioned.

"Most likely," Math believed. "They want nothing more than to wipe us from the face of Remnant."

"But they're not stupid," Pyrrha brought up. "They're trained soldiers."

"Trained soldiers led by a hypocritical lunatic," the autistic swordsman responded. "This may not be our best strategy, but it's too late to change it. Remember: our goal isn't to wipe them out, it's to buy Safirlas enough time to save our friends. We just need to hold out."

"But there could be thousands of them," a Huntsman brought up. "They could outnumber 500-to-1."

"Which is why this area is perfect for our ambush," Math pointed out. "This area has confined space and the Iron Knights don't have any way to flank us. We just need to be more careful since they have AB ammunition."

"How'd they even get their hands on that?" Pyrrha wondered.

"Same way the White Fang got their hands on that Paladin," Ruo suggested. "They stole it."

"We'll worry about how they got it later," Math responded. "For now, we need to be ready for when Dearg gives us the signal."

Far from the area where the fighting would take place, Safirlas and her rescue force caught sight of where the survivors were. When they were given the signal, that was their chance to save them, hopefully with minimal encounters with the Iron Knights.

Saf waited there, keeping an eye out for her cousins who would attract the Iron Knights' attention. From the look of it, the Knights were expecting them, but they still retained the element of surprise since the Knights didn't know their numbers or where they were.

"You okay, Safirlas?" Fox asked.

To be honest, Safirlas was afraid of reliving the deaths of people she cared for. She remembered her entire team being slaughtered and feared the same happening to her family.

To put her more at unease, her dreams had foretold events that had happened…or would happen. Goodwitch was captured along with most of her force, just like she saw in her dream. The Iron Knights had plans to attack Haven, just like the dream she had before the other.

What was the meaning behind all of this? She wanted to ask Glaucus, but the mission had to come first for now.

"I'll be fine," Safirlas assured.

"I hope I am," Fox responded.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"I don't know if you were told, but we lost one of our teammates when Beacon fell," the member of team CFY informed. "Her name was Velvet Scarlatina."

"I heard," she responded.

"After we lost her…I was scared of losing everyone else," Fox continued. "Coco and Yatsu…they're the only family I have left. If I lose them-"

"Don't," Saf interrupted, remembering the deaths of her own teammates. Even though she had started training again, she hadn't completely gotten over their deaths at the hands of Nachtfel.

"Sorry," Fox apologized, remembering that Nasser had told them of her loss.

"Well, today we have a chance to avenge our losses," one of them spoke up. "So let us do so."

-0-

Robin and Dearg hurried to where the Iron Knights were to put their plan into action. They stopped at a corner and examined the patrols, looking for the ones that would catch the most attention.

"Make it look stealthy," Dearg instructed. "If we use explosive arrows, they may catch onto what we're doing."

"I know," Robin replied. "I say we go for the patrol on the road. That's practically the center of attention."

"No," Dearg replied. "Just like you said, center of attention. Make it look like a sneak attack." He looked around the corner and saw what he believed to be perfect.

"Follow me," he whispered. He led his brother away from the road and up the hill, where a patrol was viewing the road from above.

"I'll take the left, you take the right," Robin suggested.

"Sounds good," Dearg agreed as they both nocked arrows onto the bowstrings of their weapons. They both pulled back, preparing to take out the two Iron Knights that were watching the road.

"Huntsmen!" a Knight cried out from their side. "We're under attack!" The two archers quickly bolted from the Knights as they got their attention.

"Sir," a Knight addressed the Slasher as he cleaned his blades. "Huntsmen have been spotted!"

"They've come," the Slasher smiled as he sheathed his blades. "How many?"

"We only saw two," the Knight informed. "We suspect there may be more. We'll prepare to hold our zone."

"No," the Slasher refused. "We seek them out and we kill them. All of them."

"But, sir," the Knight replied. "Valkoin instructed us to hold-"

"He is not in charge," the Slasher snarled. "I am. We are going on the offensive. Prepare the Berserkers."

"But, sir-" The Slasher punched him in the face.

"When I give you an order, you follow it!" he roared. "Prepare a Berserker and get the Knights ready to move out!" The Knight nodded his head and alerted the other warriors.

The Slasher grabbed a rifle and hurried to lead the Knights once they had been organized for an assault on the Huntsmen. A total of ten Knights were instructed to stay behind and keep an eye on the prisoners should any Huntsmen come nearby.

"Follow those archers!" the Slasher barked. "They couldn't have gotten far!"

As Robin and Dearg kept running, they could hear the mobilizing of the Iron Knights and them marching to meet them, making the younger archer smile.

"They took the bait," he stated.

"Now we need to hold their attention long enough for Safirlas to rescue our friends," Dearg added. The two of them made their way back to the area where they would spring the ambush, making sure the Iron Knights could see them.

-0-

"Follow them!" the Slasher ordered as the two archers rounded the corner. The Slasher stopped by holding up his hand, bringing his force to a halt. He ordered twenty of his men to follow him around the corner, suspecting something would soon come into play.

They walked into the area, their rifles up as they entered single file and examined the area. To their ire, the two archers were gone.

"Where are they?" he growled as he looked around. Two arrows went flying from above, killing two of the Iron Knights. After that, the ambush started.

Corcra activated her guandao's rifle mode and fired on the Iron Knights, taking out several of the Knights before they tried moving to cover, but found none.

"It's an ambush!" one of the Knights called out.

"We outnumber them!" the Slasher pointed out. "Push the assault!"

The Knights aimed their rifles up and fired at the Huntsmen, but with the constant barrage they were under and the Huntsmen have the high ground, they were going down like flies. The Huntsmen had them right where they wanted them and they were taking full advantage of the situation.

"Force them into the open!" the Slasher ordered as he took out a Huntsman by shooting their head. He then took out a grenade and threw it where the majority of the Huntsmen were.

"Look out!" Corcra called as she quickly grabbed the grenade in her hand and threw it back at the Iron Knights, exploding in the mass.

-0-

"What?" Valkoin wondered as he heard an explosion in the distance. He looked over from his isolated area to see that the zone he had ordered the Knights to stay in was abandoned. Instead, the fighting was taking place far from it.

"Slasher, you idiot," the wire user growled, clenching his fists in anger. "I told you to stay there." He detached the wires from his gauntlet, keeping Glynda tied to the wall.

"You're not leaving."

Valkoin looked down to see Glaucus below his position, his staff in one hand and his sword in the other. The wire user leapt down and landed across from him.

"Hello, brother," Valkoin greeted.

"Valkoin," Glaucus responded. "So Salem did recruit the Iron Knights."

"Of course she did," Valkoin admitted. "After all, they've more motive than anyone to fight and kill Huntsmen. It took some convincing, but in the end, we were able to persuade them to join our cause."

"What cause is that?" Glaucus questioned. "To destroy humanity? Salem is a monster."

"And Ozpin isn't?" the wire user questioned. "You're following a hypocrite, a liar, a fraud…all Ozpin has done is lead us into a war against an enemy that cannot be beaten, that cannot be killed."

"Is that why you abandoned us?" the Gray Wanderer asked. "Because you believe-"

"Because Ozpin robbed us of everything!" Valkoin interrupted. "Our parents are dead because of him." Glaucus's eyes widened, unsure of what to make of what his brother was saying.

He remembered his life before they had known of all of this.

They lived a life of wealthy life in Vale due to their father being a doctor and their mother being an artist. They were initially Huntsmen, but retired to focus on raising their two sons. When Valkoin was eleven and Glaucus was nine, their parents returned to action. One day, they never returned and they lost everything as their family's fortune was used in helping to build Beacon. After years of living on the streets and surviving, they were old enough to attend Beacon.

"What does Ozpin have to do with their deaths?" Glaucus asked. "Speaking of which, how would you know?"

"That's not important," Valkoin answered. "Ozpin recruited our parents to his cause. After Mother died on a mission that Ozpin sent her on, Father…Father went on a rampage, killing anyone he believed was associated with Salem. His hands were drenched in blood, so much blood."

"How did he die then?" Glaucus questioned, still unsure of whether to believe his brother or not.

"Our Father ultimately realized Salem cannot be beaten," Valkoin continued. "Instead of returning to us, he leapt off a cliff and into the ocean."

For once, his calm and collected scowl began to crack into anger and grief. His reason for hating Ozpin rose back up and forced him to show such emotion that he usually kept under control.

"He sent our Mother to die," Valkoin revealed. "He drove our Father to suicide. He stole our fortune so he could use it for his own uses. You are supporting the man who ruined our lives for his own selfish gains!"

"What…?" Glaucus spoke.

Valkoin had a point. Their fortune had been turned over to the Council of Vale after their parents died and was given to Ozpin to use in Beacon. Ozpin had admitted that he had used their parents' fortune, but was unaware that they had children. A part of Glaucus always doubted that Ozpin was telling the entire truth and had asked him several times of his parents; at first, Ozpin was able to put his mind at ease, but his doubts always returned.

"How do you know all of this?" the Gray Wanderer demanded to know.

"You want to know?" Valkoin questioned. "Fine. I used the Relic of Knowledge."

"What?" Glaucus gasped. "You used the Relic?"

"Ozpin cannot beat Salem," Valkoin stated. "I saw it myself. Everything Ozpin has done has been for absolutely…nothing."

"You act like that justifies everything Salem has done," Glaucus pointed out before gesturing to the ruins of Beacon Academy.

"Thousands of people all over Remnant died the night Beacon was attacked. Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo…all the other kingdoms were attacked because of you and your associates setting Penny up to be killed. I don't delude myself into thinking Ozpin is a saint, but he's not the devil Salem is. If you honestly think that simply turning your back on us is the right choice, then you're delusional!"

"And you chose Ozpin over me!" Valkoin snarled as he turned his wires into a pair of spears. "I will have justice for our parents…and anyone who stands in my way will suffer!" The two brothers charged at each other.

-0-

"Sir, there's no way to flank them!" one of the Knights pointed out. "They have us pinned!"

"Throw grenades!" the Slasher ordered. "Force them into the open!" Several of the Knights pulled out grenades and threw them at the areas where the Huntsmen were.

"Grenades!" Nasser called out as he aimed Hafashahn at one of them and shot it, making it explode in the air. "Take them out before they hit us!"

"On it!" Gwen responded as she threw several knives at the grenades, making them explode before they could harm the Huntsmen. Unfortunately, this move left her exposed and she was shot through her shoulder.

"Gwen!" Dew cried out as she rushed to her side. "Huntress down!" She put Gwen's arm over her shoulder and took her to away from the fighting to inspect her gun wound.

"What's wrong with her?" Nasser asked as he hurried over to them.

"She was shot," Dew answered, pointing to her gun wound. "Her Aura will heal it, but she needs time."

"Then stay with her," Nasser suggested. "Leave the fighting to us." A grenade went off, blowing some Huntsmen away from their hiding spots and allowing the Iron Knights to kill them with their AB ammo.

"Robin, Dearg!" Corcra called out. "Focus on the grenades they throw! They're trying to force us out into the open!"

"Got it!" they replied.

-0-

From the other side, the ambush force watched on as the battle went on. They wanted to fight as well, but they hadn't received the signal to attack. Several Huntsmen had been killed, but they were managing to hold their ground.

"Come on," Math spoke impatiently. "Dearg, give us the signal."

"We must be patient," Pyrrha assured him, but with little effect.

"Guys," Ruo addressed. "We have a problem." Math and Pyrrha hurried over to see him pointing at several Grimm charging towards the battle from further down the road, drawn by the negativity.

"Centaurs?" Math gasped. "If they get to the battle, it'll only get worse for us!"

"What's your call?" Pyrrha asked.

"You and I will take care of the Centaurs," Math answered. "Ruo, you lead the ambush."

"Will do," the Faunus replied. Math and Pyrrha left to face the large Centaur Grimm charging towards the battle.

"We must go for the back of its legs or its head," Pyrrha reminded her beloved. "The rest of its body is covered in armor."

"Will do," Math replied.

The Centaurs were charging closer and closer to the battle, but were abruptly stopped when Math threw Torrach at the one in the front, causing it to stumble and fall. Pyrrha leapt over him and impaled Ekdikeo into the head of another Centaur before dodging an attack from another.

Several of the Centaurs howled and charged at Math. He summoned Torrach back to him and threw one of the Grimm over him, sending it crashing into one of the ruins. He then slashed a Centaur's front legs and then sliced its head clean off before throwing Dochas-Mhadaidh into the head of another Grimm.

Pyrrha fired several rounds at a Centaur's head before charging forward with Ekdikeo, changed to its spear form, and running it through the Grimm's head. She then threw Agapas off a rock that then made it slash across the back of another Centaur's front legs, allowing her to finish it off with a stab to its face.

The remaining Centaurs were quickly taken care of by the two fighters. When the last Centaur was killed, they looked back to see that the signal arrow for the ambush had been shot into the air.

"That's the signal!" Math pointed out. "We need to hurry-" Another Grimm pounced onto Mathdon, one that appeared like a lion with armored legs and an armored mane. The swordsman blocked its razor teeth with Torrach, but the strength of the Grimm was slowly overwhelming him.

Luckily, Pyrrha used her Polarity to throw ruins with metal at the Grimm, knocking it off Math. She then rushed over and helped him onto his feet.

"A Lionel," Math remembered. It snarled at Math and Pyrrha, its fangs bared and prepared to pounce onto them.

"We must take it down," Pyrrha insisted as she raised her spear.

"Its weak spot must be its underbelly with that much armor," Math deduced. "Go for that." The Lionel pounced once again at Math and Pyrrha, roaring as it did.

-0-

"Let's go!" Ruo instructed everyone as the signal for the ambush was shot by Dearg. He lunged forward and threw a wave of fire at the unsuspecting Iron Knights, burning three of them. Another Huntsman threw a Fire Dust grenade into the middle of the Knights, which exploded and killed six of them.

"Ambush!" one of the Knights shouted.

"Grenades!" Corcra ordered. Many of the Huntsmen threw Fire Dust grenades into the mass of Iron Knights, killing dozens of them as they exploded.

"Berserkers!" the Slasher ordered.

Ten Iron Knights walked from outside the battle, armed with gauntlets connected to their arms, turned on their stimulants. They felt their bodies start to shift and change, growing larger and stronger. The pain would be unbearable for any other person, but luckily, their pain nerves were inactive, numbing them to the pain of the transformation.

"Berserkers?" Corcra questioned. Loud roars were heard before five bestially muscular men wearing tattered Iron Knight armor broke into the fight, breathing heavily as they looked around.

"Oh, that's not good," Nasser stated. "Those things look tough."

"Scatter!" the Slasher ordered. The Iron Knights hurried from the battle site, but some of them were caught by the Berserkers and killed gruesomely. One was killed by having their head smashed open like a watermelon. Another was thrown into the ground and wall repeatedly before throwing them against the wall, leaving a trail of blood as they fell to the ground.

"They're killing their own troops?" Ruo gasped. The Berserkers charged at the Huntsmen, who opened fire on them, but their bullets seemed to merely bounce off of them.

"Move!" Corcra ordered everyone as they were forced out of their hiding areas.

"How do we beat these things?" Nebula questioned.

"Look for a weakness," Nasser answered.

The Huntsmen had never suspected the Iron Knights had soldiers like these, leaving them completely blindsided.

The tables had turned on the Huntsmen. They needed to find a weakness in the Berserkers…or their mission would end with their corpses littering the entire area.

 **Author's Notes: This is a bit shorter than usual, I know. I had a lot of difficulty writing this chapter since I had to consider the Aura Breaking ammunition, meaning the Huntsmen couldn't just charge in and expect their Auras to protect them.**

 **I hope you found this a good start to the final battle in Volume 4. Make sure to keep reading to see how events unfold. Peace out!**


	21. Grimm Situations

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 21: Grimm Situations**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Ren and Nora hurried into the village, hoping to find Jaune and Ruby to warn them of the incoming Grimm. To their luck, Jaune and Ruby were alive with Qrow slouching against a tree, his hand over his purple-coated bandage.

"Jaune! Ruby!" Nora called out to them.

"Guys!" Ruby responded. "Did you find help?"

"We need to get out of here now!" Ren stated. "A Grimm is coming!"

A loud screech was heard from behind the group. Ren and Nora's eyes widened in horror while Jaune and Ruby were confused at what the Grimm could be, having never heard such a sound before.

The screech was replaced with the sound of hoofbeats approaching them. Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose and activated its scythe form, prepared to fight whatever would come their way. Jaune hurried over to Qrow and helped him to safety, far away from the battle that was about to happen. He gently placed him down before leaving, but Qrow grabbed his arm.

"Kid…" he said weakly. "I'm sorry." Jaune frowned and left him as he got Crocea Mors ready.

"Spread out," Jaune told them. "We should catch it by surprise." Jaune and Ruby hid on one side of the village while Ren and Nora hid on the other.

The hoofbeats grew louder and louder as the Nuckelavee appeared, disturbing Jaune and Ruby. It looked like a skeletal horse with a human torso and horned head slouching over it, moaning weakly as its arms dragged behind it. Even as the horse stopped, the upper body didn't bother to move.

"What is that?" Ruby asked herself. Jaune silently attracted everyone's attention and gestured for them to aim for the Nuckelavee's heads. Ruby aimed for the human-like head while Nora aimed for the horse head.

The Nuckelavee finally raised its head and brought its long arms in, sensing negativity in the form of anger. It started to slowly turn its head in Nora and Ren's direction, startling the hammer user. She looked over at Ren to see him barely able to contain his anger.

"Ren, don't," Nora insisted.

"No," Ren refused, gripping StormFlower tightly, remembering the night the village was attacked.

"Ren…" Nora addressed.

"Mother, Father…you took them all away from me," Ren snarled. He leapt onto the roof of the building they were hiding on and fired away at the Nuckelavee.

"What are you doing?" Jaune barked as Ren's bullet barrage ruined their attack plan. The Nuckelavee threw its arm at Ren, but he dodged and jumped onto the ground. The Grimm then gave out a loud screech that made everyone cover their ears to blot it out.

"Go in a circle!" Jaune told them. "Don't give it room to move!" The four students quickly moved from their hiding spots and ran around in a circle, preventing the creature from having any room to charge without losing sight of their prey. Nora and Ruby kept up the assault on the Nuckelavee, shooting its heads and dodging its attacks.

Jaune went in and slashed the Grimm's hind leg, finally causing some damage to it. It screeched in pain before kicking the Arc away and into Ruby, knocking them both to the ground. Ren took advantage of this to get in close with the distracted Grimm; it brought its head up to see the ninja and smacked him away with its arm.

"Ren!" Nora called out as she hurried to her possible boyfriend. "What is wrong with you!?"

"That monster!" Ren roared as he got back up and ran up a tree, opening fire on its back.

"What is wrong with Ren?" Ruby asked as she and Jaune recovered. Jaune sheathed his sword and then pulled the scabbard as blades protruded from the sides.

"It's also a greatsword!?" Ruby asked cheerfully.

"Yeah," Jaune confirmed. "Sorry it's not also a gun." He then rushed forward to slash the Grimm's other hind leg, causing it to screech in pain. Jaune was about to land another blow, but the Grimm smacked him away.

The Grimm then charged at Nora before extending its arm to attack. The hammer user smacked the hand away and leapt forward to bring her weapon down on its horse head, but it raised its front legs and kicked her away.

The Nuckelavee's human torso made the spikes on its back grow larger before twitching several times and then giving out another loud screech, making everyone cover their ears as it was unbearable. The Nuckelavee then spun its extended arms around, knocking everyone down.

"How are we going to beat this thing?" Jaune wondered.

-0-

The Berserkers crashed upon the Huntsmen like an avalanche, roaring savagely.

"Look for a weakness!" Corcra ordered. "Robin, go warn Safirlas; the Iron Knights may be coming back."

"On it!" the archer replied as he left the battlefield and disappeared into cover.

Ruo leapt onto one of the Berserkers, clawing at the gauntlets to try and tear it off their arms, but it was no use. The gauntlets were connected right into their arms, making it impossible for them to be removed. The Berserker roared, grabbed Ruo and threw him into a wall, causing his white Aura to shimmer.

"Their gauntlets are stuck to their arms," Ruo informed.

"Then what do we aim for?" Nebula asked as she dodged an attack from one of the Berserkers.

The heavy attack from the Berserkers left none of the Huntsmen with enough time to examine them for a weakness. Their only option for now was to destroy the gauntlets that injected the Dust into their bodies.

"Destroy their gauntlets!" Dearg told them as he nocked a Lightning Dust arrow and shot at one of their gauntlets. While it did penetrate the gauntlet, it did nothing, along with any damage they were receiving from their opponents. It was if they were immune to any form of pain.

"These Berserkers are just shoving off anything we throw at them," Octavia pointed out as she threw a fire wave from the dust in her weapon, to no effect on the Berserker. "How do we beat them?"

Dearg examined the Berserkers, hoping to find any kind of weakness as all of their attacks were proving fruitless. Fortunately, he caught sight of a small device on their necks was glowing green with a button. On impulse, he leapt over the Berserker and pressed the button. As soon as he did, the Dust-enhanced Iron Knight screamed in pain and fell to his knees, unable to bear the immense pain until he finally passed out.

"The green buttons on their necks!" Dearg pointed out. "Those are nullifying their pain receptors. Turn them off."

"Good catch, Dearg," Corcra complimented.

-0-

"Where's the signal?" Saf wondered. She presumed that they would've told them to rescue their comrades by now. They could hear the loud battle going on, making them fearful of if the plan had awry.

"Saf!" Robin whispered as he approached them.

"Robin?" she addressed. "What's going on back there?"

"The Iron Knights threw some kind of monsters against us," the archer informed. "We need to move now; the Iron Knights may be coming back."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Fox asked. "Let's go." The group hurried to find their captured friends.

Upon arriving, Robin saw two Knights standing watch, but their backs were turned from their group. The archer nocked an arrow and Saf took out one of her daggers, both prepared to take the patrol out.

"I'll take the left, you take the right," Saf suggested. Robin nodded and in one swift motion, they took out the patrolling Knights keeping watch.

"Huh?" Port gasped before the group emerged from the foliage and started freeing their captured friends.

"Robin?" Coco asked as he freed her, looking at her through the lenses of his new glasses. She was very surprised to see her boyfriend again, especially now.

"Coco, I-" he attempted to apologize, but Coco put a finger to his lips.

"Escape now, apologize later," she suggested, to which Robin agreed.

"The Iron Knights are coming back!" Port warned everyone. "We must hurry!"

"What about Goodwitch?" Oobleck asked. "We cannot just leave her, despite what she's done."

"Glaucus is on his way to rescue her," Robin assured. "He's bringing her back. Now let's hurry before the Knights kill us." Everyone hurried into the foliage, Robin and Safirlas bringing up the rear to ensure that the Knights did not see them.

"Now we need to get everyone out of Beacon," Safirlas pointed out.

"I'll go let them know that we've rescued everyone," Robin informed. "Hopefully, they've taken down those Berserkers."

ROOOAAAARRRRRR!

Everyone looked back in the direction of the Academy to see a Tyrannosaur roar, perched atop a hill as it overlooked the battle, the source of negativity in the area. Behind it was a lot of Grimm, consisting of Beowulves, Ursai, Death Stalkers, Raptors and many more, as if prepared to be unleashed like a flood.

"Oh, no," Robin gasped. "I have to warn everyone. We need to get out of here now!"

"Hurry then!" Port insisted. "Come on, students." The rescued Huntsmen and students hurried to escape the battleground, knowing they'd be of no use without their weapons.

"Make sure my brother and mom come back," Saf pleaded of her cousin.

"I will," Robin assured as he hurried off back to where the main force was fighting the Berserkers.

-0-

The Lionel clawed at Math, narrowly missing him before following with another attack, hitting Torrach and knocking him back a bit. He then slashed at the Lionel's head, but it moved at the last moment so that he struck its armored mane instead.

Pyrrha rushed up to the Lionel and used her Polarity to strengthen Agapas as she pushed up against it, forcing the Grimm onto its hind legs. She was about to throw Ekdikeo and impale it into the Lionel, but it slashed at Pyrrha, knocking her away and causing her red Aura to shimmer.

"It's catching onto what we're after," Math pointed out, noticing how the Grimm was keeping its underbelly protected from them. The Lionel's armor was simply too strong for their attacks and it was very agile and fast, able to move around with a lot of ease.

As they dodged yet another attack from the Grimm, Math looked around and saw what he felt may be their way of defeating the Lionel.

"Pyrrha!" he called to her, gesturing to some metal pipes in the ruins out of the Lionel's sight. "Can you use your Polarity to make those pipes face outward?"

"Like a spear wall?" she asked, to which he nodded. "Will do."

"I'll keep the Grimm distracted," Math stated. "Let me know you've got enough." Pyrrha nodded her head and went over to some of the ruins to prepare their trap for the Lionel.

The Grimm clawed at Math, roaring as it did, but only succeeded in hitting Torrach and pushed its claws away. The swordsman once again slashed at its face, but it moved its head so that he hit its armored mane instead once more. This left him open to an attack with its claw, throwing him to the ground.

It pounced and tried to bury its fangs into Math; he rolled and dodged the attack. He took advantage of the opening and slashed at the Lionel's face, finally hitting it instead of its armored mane, causing it to roar in anger at the swordsman.

"Math!" Pyrrha called out. "It's ready!" Mathdon quickly hurried and moved to where the Lionel couldn't see the sharpened metal pipes positioned like a spear formation.

"I hope this works," the swordsman hoped. As expected, the Lionel positioned its body to prepare to pounce, its fangs bared and a low growl passing out of its mouth. The swordsman raised his shield to defend himself from the attack as the Grimm leapt at him.

Math moved aside to dodge the Lionel's attack, allowing it to impale itself onto the metal pipes that Pyrrha had prepared. It spasmed a few times before it stopped and disintegrated into black smoke.

"You okay?" Pyrrha asked her beloved.

"I'm fine," he assured. "And you?" She nodded her head smiling.

ROOOOAAAAARRRRRR!

"What was that?" Math gasped as he and Pyrrha hurried to look up. What Math saw terrified him.

The source of the roar was a Tyrannosaur, the same Grimm that he, his team and Forest's team had barely defeated during the train battle on their mission up north. Behind it was countless Grimm of all sorts, having been attracted to the negativity caused by the battle.

"This isn't good," Math stated. "We have to warn everyone. Now!"

-0-

Glaucus and Valkoin traded blows with each other, the wire user constantly changing his weapons in the hopes of throwing his brother off. However, Glaucus was deeply familiar with Valkoin's fighting style and showed no problem keeping up with him.

Valkoin changed his wires into blades and unleashed a frenzy of blade strikes on Glaucus, which he blocked and deflected each of them. After one attack, Glaucus activated the Gravity Dust in his staff and blasted Valkoin into the wall of some ruins.

Upon recovering, his white Aura shimmering from the attack, Valkoin brought his hands together, creating several small portals out of dark matter around the place, some directly facing Glaucus. In a swift motion, he threw his wires into the portals, each of them passing through one into the other. This left Glaucus trapped and with no room to move, just as Valkoin hoped.

"I won't let anything stand in my way," Valkoin growled. "Ozpin will pay for what he stole from us."

"At what cost?" Glaucus questioned as he activated the Gravity Dust in his staff yet again, blasting all the wires and portals away. "How much needless death must happen before you or Salem are satisfied?"

"I'm not the one who sent inexperienced students to 'secret missions' over the years to fight this war," Valkoin responded. "Do you know how many students died because of Ozpin's war? 568."

"Do you know how many lives you endangered by aiding in the Fall of Beacon?" Glaucus shot back. "Millions. Don't act like Salem is better than Ozpin."

"I never said she was," Valkoin replied. "We're pawns to both of them. But who dragged us into this war in the first place? Who killed our mother? Who drove our father to suicide?"

"I loved them as much as you did," Glaucus answered. "Do you really think this is what they would've wanted? Aiding Salem?"

"They didn't want to die in a war that Ozpin cannot win either," Valkoin pointed out. "You should be fighting with me, not with him. He takes so much from people and gives nothing in return. He demands respect and trust from us when he doesn't return it. And the worst part is, he claims to be Remnant's protector. What kind of protector robs people of their families and demands everything of everyone while giving nothing in return?"

"Do you think I'm blind?" Glaucus questioned. "I don't follow Ozpin out of blind faith. I follow him because I believed that out of all our options, he was our best chance of stopping Salem."

"Don't you understand!?" the wire user roared, his stoic composure completely gone. "Salem cannot be beaten! Everything Ozpin did was for nothing!" He turned his wires into spears and threw them at Glaucus, which he dodged knowing what his brother would've done with them should he have blocked them.

He brought them back and threw them at him once more in a wide circle, which Glaucus responded by blasting them away with his Ice Dust, freezing the weapons. Unable to transform them, Valkoin brought them down from above, only to be smashed to pieces by a strike of Glaucus's sword.

"Invicta metal is susceptible to extreme temperatures, if I recall correctly," the Gray Wanderer brought up.

Valkoin turned his wires into a pair of spears and lunged at Glaucus. The Gray Wanderer deflected the attack with his staff and then retaliated with his sword, landing a hit on Valkoin. The wire user swung at Glaucus's feet, quickly unraveling the tip of his spear to entangle his brother's feet, but Glaucus caught on and flipped over him, striking his head as he did.

"Why did you choose Ozpin over me?" Valkoin snarled.

"You left without a word!" Glaucus reminded his brother. "You disappeared. Don't you dare blame me!"

"You are aiding the man who stole everything from us!" the wire user shouted.

"And you're aiding the monster who wants to destroy Remnant," the Gray Wanderer pointed out. "This isn't what our parents would've wanted!"

"Our parents are dead because of him!" Valkoin roared. "He took everything away from me. But I will take everything from him before I deal with Salem myself!"

ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR!

"Oh no," Glaucus gasped.

-0-

The Berserkers continually and wildly attacked the Huntsmen, having killed two of them. Thanks to Dearg, however, everyone knew where to attack to stop these monstrous soldiers.

However, their wild attacks and constant movement made it hard for anyone to get a good clean hit on the buttons on their necks. Anyone who tried was either swiped away or thrown off.

Corcra managed to get on top of one of the Berserkers, finding the button Dearg had informed them of. She pressed it and, as expected, the Berserker roared in agony; with their pain receptors active, they were able to feel the immense hurt of the Dust being loaded into their veins and muscles. After several moments, it passed out.

When it fell, she noticed something on the Berserker's gauntlet. Near the button that inserted the Dust into their bodies, it showed a percentage gauge with the dial on a green area reading 'Safe' between a white area reading 'Inactive' and a red area reading 'Dangerous'.

"Is there only a specific amount of Dust they can inject into their bodies?" Corcra wondered. Not wanting this Knight to rise back up, she turned the dial into the 'Dangerous' area, which would undoubtedly kill the Berserker with a Dust overdose.

ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!

"What was that?" Nebula asked.

"It's a Tyrannosaur!" Ruo answered, being familiar with the Grimm he had encountered on his mission up north. "We have to fall back!"

"No, we must hold the Knights' attention for as long as possible!" Corcra responded. "Our friends are counting on us."

"That is a damn Tyrannosaur!" Nasser pointed out. "If you think these Berserkers were a problem, then that Tyrannosaur is a nightmare!"

A Berserker punched Corcra into the wall of the ruins, damaging her purple Aura. She managed to recover in time to dodge a follow-up punch from that same Berserker. As she took a fighting stance, Nasser leapt onto the Iron Knight and, despite nearly being thrown off, turned off the device that nullified the Knight's pain receptors. The Berserker gave out loud screams of agony before falling unconscious. Corcra then went over to the Berserker and turned the dial up to the red.

"What are you doing?" Nasser asked.

"Finishing the job," she stated, gesturing to the dials on their gauntlets. "We don't want these Berserkers getting back up."

"Mom!" Math called out as he and Pyrrha joined up with the group.

"Math!" she replied.

"We need to go!" Robin shouted as he emerged from the foliage, just as Math was about to say. "Safirlas was able to free our friends. They're safe."

"Then we retreat," Corcra decided before giving a loud "RETREAT!"

The Huntsmen hurried from the area, disregarding the two Berserkers that were chasing after them; in a matter of minutes, Grimm were going to overrun this area and possibly chase after them and no one wanted to face a Grimm as fearsome as the Tyrannosaur.

"Was anyone in the rescue killed or injured?" Corcra asked Robin as they fled.

"No," Robin answered. "We got out of there before the Iron Knights arrived." Corcra breathed a sigh of relief as they hurried. She was thankful that both of her children yet again survived an encounter with the Iron Knights.

-0-

"We're almost there!" Saf pointed out as they got to a large bridge that allowed land travel between Beacon and Vale.

As they approached, Saf's vision turned blue. Before her, she saw a large Grimm, which she recognized as a Troll, jump from the trees and attack someone she couldn't identify. The Troll then proceeded to grab a large boulder and throw it as they attempted to run, but instead destroyed the bridge, trapping them.

"Saf!" Fox called out. "We need to move!"

"I'm waiting for the others!" she told him. "Go on without me!"

"Safirlas-"

"Go!" Fox was hesitant to leave her by herself, but there was no chance of persuading her otherwise. He took off with the others to get their rescued friends to safety.

Saf believed that she had made a huge mistake in disregarding the dreams that foretold the capture of Goodwitch and the destruction of Haven. Now it was a vision in daylight and it was one that she wouldn't ignore.

After several minutes of waiting, she saw her mother and brother lead the retreat from the battle, which was considerably smaller from the deaths of several Huntsmen who had come with them.

As they came closer, she heard tremors, like constant stomping from the forest. It was loud like thunder and could sense from the shakes in the ground that it was coming closer by the second. Finally, the tremors became much more constant, as if something was running.

"Hurry!" Saf called. Right as the group arrived, a Troll leapt from the forest and brought its fists down on the escapees, but they managed to dodge its attack. The whole group hurried across the bridge to outrun the heavily armored Grimm; instead of going for the boulder like it showed in Saf's vision, it got down on all fours and chased after them.

"More of them!" Dew pointed out as she caught sight of salamander-like Grimm climbing the pillars supporting the bridge.

BAM!

The Troll brought its fists down on the bridge, sending a quake throughout it. Parts of the bridge fell down into the water from the Troll's attack; further down, large cracks started to run through the bridge that would eventually cause it to crumble if the Troll slammed into it enough times.

"We need to get across this bridge!" Math stated. "Hurry!"

The Salamander-like Grimm made their way to the top, hissing viciously as they prepared to attack. Despite this, their priority had to be getting across the long bridge in time…or they'd be trapped with countless Grimm.

 **Author's Notes: I will be very honest. These chapters are becoming harder for me to write. I've been dealing with some issues lately and haven't had the inspiration I feel I need for this series. I still hope you're enjoying it, though. Remember, you can visit my Bio to access the poll for how many stars you'd give the MRRN series. I'll update as soon as I can.**


	22. Battle on the Bridge

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 22: Battle on the Bridge**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

The Troll roared as the survivors now stood on the bridge to Beacon, with the salamander Grimm climbing up to attack the fleeing Huntsmen. The captured Huntsmen had already made it across and were on their way back to Vale; despite many of them wanting to help, they would be of little aid without their weapons and being in terrible condition.

"We need to get across now!" Saf stated. Just then, a rocket flew past them, which had been aimed for the bridge, but missed. They looked back to see the Iron Knights that had followed them and were now being attacked by the Grimm.

"Bring that bridge down!" the Slasher ordered. "Don't let them escape!" Another Iron Knight tried to load a rocket, but was picked up by a Tyrannosaur and bitten in half.

"Nasser, Mathdon!" Corcra called out. "You two and I will fight the Troll! Keep it from slamming down on the bridge!"

"Got it!" Math answered.

"Robin, Nebula!" she addressed. "Keep the Iron Knights from firing those rockets!"

"You got it!" Robin responded as he nocked an arrow onto his bowstring and Nebula pulled out her crossbow.

"Everyone else, hold the line!" Corcra instructed. "If you see a rocket, shoot it down! We must hold for Glaucus as long as possible!"

The Troll roared as it swung its fist at Nasser, who leapt and fired several shots at the Troll's head. To his dismay, they simply bounced off as the Troll swung at him again, which he managed to dodge once more.

Math jumped and brought Dochas-Mhadaidh down on the Troll's head, but it didn't do any damage as the blade just slid off. Before the Troll could grab him, Pyrrha used her Polarity on Math's shield to move him out of harm's way.

"Look for a weak spot!" the leader of MRRN called. "That armor's too strong for our weapons!"

"Take down that bridge!" the Slasher ordered, but the Iron Knights couldn't focus on blowing up the bridge while under attack from the Grimm and the arrows from Robin and Nebula. One Knight managed to shoot a rocket at the bridge before being torn apart by an Ursa Major. The Slasher smiled sadistically, but that quickly faded when Robin's arrow took out the rocket.

"We have to evacuate!" one of the Knights insisted. "There's too many of them!"

"No!" the Slasher refused. "We're taking down those Huntsmen tonight!"

The Slasher felt a weight pin him to the ground on his stomach. It was extremely heavy, like a bus had been dropped on him. He heard low growling, prompting to look up in terror as he stared at the eyes of a Tyrannosaur, who had pinned him down with its foot.

"Help me!" he pleaded. Before any of the Knights could act, the Tyrannosaur opened its mouth and started devouring the Slasher.

"Retreat!" one of the Knights shouted. "Fall back!"

-0-

Valkoin lunged at Glaucus once more with a pair of wire spears, but Glaucus again deflected them. The two of them traded blows with each other before the wire user turned his wires into blades, which he imbued with dark matter.

"It's been a while since I've seen your Semblance in action," Glaucus spoke. Valkoin threw the two blades at his brother, who held his hand up and unleashed a blast that pushed the blades back. Valkoin felt a sudden heat crawl over his body, which he immediately recognized as his brother's Semblance, which allowed him to generate heat in a number of ways.

"You would side with Salem just so you can have revenge on Ozpin?" Glaucus questioned.

"I'll do anything to avenge what we lost," Valkoin snarled. "Ozpin took everything from us all in his vain attempt to win a fight he cannot win. Against Salem's power…there can be no victory." He broke off the wires out of his gauntlets since they were too hot to retract, dissembling his weapons.

"Join me, brother," he insisted, holding his hand out. "Stand with me and together, we can make Ozpin pay for taking everything from us. Don't be blind like that drunk, Qrow."

"I'm not blind," Glaucus refused. "But you are; you are blinded by hatred. I don't approve of everything Ozpin has done, but that doesn't mean I will endanger countless lives just so I can have revenge on him."

"He took everything from us and then acted like he did nothing wrong!" Valkoin shouted. "For all I know, he's as evil as Salem."

"If you she's evil, then why are you fighting for her!?" Glaucus barked.

Valkoin said nothing this time. Instead, he hurried back to Goodwitch with Glaucus following behind him. To stop him, Valkoin threw his wires around some boulders and threw them at his brother, allowing the wire user to continue back to Goodwitch.

"It's over, Glynda," he smirked sadistically, making a small knife out of his wires. Before she could reply, Valkoin plunged the knife into her side and twisted it, making her scream in pain. He held the blade in place, watching as the life slowly left Glynda's eyes.

"GLYNDA!" Glaucus cried out as he threw a fireball at his brother, who dodged it and retracted the blade, causing the blood to flow out of Goodwitch's body. Valkoin was about to attack, but lost focus when he saw the Iron Knights retreating from Beacon as the Grimm picked them off.

"Slasher, you absolute idiot!" he snarled before sighing in frustration. "Always sad to see a great plan go down the drain." He used his Semblance to create a portal and leapt through, feeling his task was complete.

"Hold on, Glynda," Glaucus told her as he used his Gravity Dust to destroy the wall she was tied to. As soon as she was freed, the Gray Wanderer examined her wound, showing that she was losing blood fast.

"This is going to hurt,"' the Gray Wanderer warned as he put his hand on her wound and activated his Semblance. Glynda yelled in pain from the immense heat as Glaucus seared the wound close, preventing the blood loss from being fatal.

"Glaucus…?" she asked with a tired tone.

"It's okay, Glynda," the Gray Wanderer assured. "We're getting everyone out of here." As he helped Glynda to her feet and leaned her against him, he looked out to the distance to see Grimm swarming the surviving Huntsmen.

"I have to hurry!" he stated.

-0-

"The Iron Knights are falling back!" Robin pointed out.

"But the Grimm are still coming!" Safirlas added. "We need to across the bridge now!"

"But what about Glaucus?" Math asked as he dodged the Troll's right fist. "We can't leave him behind!"

"Those Grimm will be coming for us!" Corcra stated. "We cannot hold the line forever!" She dodged the Troll's fist as it tried to bring it down on her. To their horror, the impact caused more damage to the bridge, causing the cracks to grow longer and broader.

"It's breaking the bridge!" Dew stated as she killed a Salamander.

Saf looked over at the flood of Grimm slowly making their way towards them. They were still far off, but any moment now, they'd overwhelm the survivors.

She suddenly started having another vision. Several more Trolls were arriving along with the other Grimm from the far side. They then grabbed boulders and hurled them at the bridge, which would undoubtedly destroy it.

She was snapped out of it when a Salamander pinned her to the ground and tried to eat her face. Saf managed to get a knife out and stab the creature in the face four times before getting it off of her and impaling it with Himmelkanten. She then twirled it to take down three more surrounding her.

A much larger and more armored Salamander leapt onto the bridge, roaring at Safirlas. A thrown shield knocked its head back, the weapon belonging to Pyrrha as she recovered it with her Polarity.

"Let's take it down," Pyrrha insisted with a smile.

"Let's," Saf agreed.

The armored Salamander got down on all fours and pounced at the two Huntresses. While Pyrrha dodged, Saf jumped over and threw two Fire Dust knives into its head, exploding on impact. Pyrrha then rushed forward and skewered it with Ekdikeo, dealing significant damage to its head.

The armored Salamander snarled in response as it swung its tail at the redhead, yet she dodged once more and Saf leapt in to impale Himmelkanten into the Salamander's tail. The creature roared in pain from the attack before smacking Saf off.

Pyrrha then flipped over the Grimm and slashed its eye out with Ekdikeo. Safirlas then stabbed its leg before ducking to avoid its tail. The creature was weakened; now they just needed to finish it off.

"Use her shield to bash its head down," Saf told Pyrrha. Saf then hurried to the head of the Salamander, who snarled at her as soon as it saw the spear user. Just as instructed, Pyrrha leapt and used Agapas to bash the Grimm's head down. Saf raised Himmelkanten and skewered the Salamander's head. The spear martial artist held Himmelkanten in place until she was sure the Grimm was dead.

"Good job," Saf complimented Pyrrha.

"You as well," the redhead reciprocated.

The Troll swung again at Nasser; he dodged and then used his Semblance to launch himself at its head, but barely caused any damage. He used his Semblance once more as he brought Hafashahn down on its head…still did barely any damage.

"Its legs!" Corcra pointed out, seeing them as the less armored part of the Troll. "Go for its legs! Then go for the back of its neck."

"I'll keep its attention on me," Nasser offered.

"Be careful," Math insisted, getting a cocky smirk from his teammate. Nasser then used his Semblance to strike the Troll's head to make sure its attention was on him.

"Hey!" he called out. "Come and get me!"

The Troll roared as it swung at him, but missed. Seeing their opportunity to attack, Mathdon and Corcra went for its legs. Math slashed at the right while Corcra slashed at the left, causing the Troll to roar in pain. It then switched its attention to Math and brought its fist down.

Math knew the Troll's impacts could cause more damage to the bridge, so instead of dodging, the swordsman imbued Dochas-Mhadaidh with two Aura Swords and slashed at the Grimm's arm. Corcra and Nasser took the opening to attack the Troll's legs; Nasser was able to completely chop off its right leg by using his Semblance on his axe.

"That's one leg," the axe user stated. The Troll moved, but just as it did, it fell onto its hands, snarling in pain at the loss of its leg. Math leapt onto the Troll and drove his blade down the back of its neck before slashing it, severing its head from the rest of its body.

Suddenly, an impact was felt, caused by a large boulder having been thrown from afar. Parts of the bridge started to crack and crumble.

"Huh!?" Math gasped as he looked over to where the Grimm were flooding from.

To everyone's horror, several more Trolls had appeared and were starting to throw boulders at the bridge. Another one just now impacted as well, causing bits of the bridge to fall to the water below.

"Those Trolls will bring down the bridge!" Ruo stated as he killed another Salamander. "We need to get across, now!"

Math didn't want to consider it, but the situation was turning against the survivors. Any moment now, the Trolls would cause the bridge to collapse and either kill or trap everyone. To his dismay, Glaucus was still nowhere to be seen.

"Fall back!" Corcra ordered. "Get across now!"

"Glaucus…" Math spoke to himself.

"He knew the risks," his mother reminded him. "He'll find his own way back. Now let's move." Despite being reluctant, the swordsman joined the survivors in the retreat across the bridge before the Trolls could bring it down.

-0-

The Nuckelavee kicked Ren away before charging at Jaune, who dodged the Grimm and slashed at its legs. The nightmarish Grimm then grabbed the leader of JNPR and slammed him into the ground twice before throwing him into the wall of a building.

Without any restraint or thought, Ren threw himself at the Nuckelavee once more, firing upon it as he did. The Grimm smacked him away with its arm, sending him right into Nora.

"Ren, stop it!" she demanded in a frustrated tone.

He refused to listen as he threw one of StormFlower's guns at the Grimm, slashing its arm, but doing no obvious damage. Upon retrieving it, the ninja charged at the Grimm once more, yet was kicked away by the Nuckelavee's front legs.

"Ren!" Ruby called out. "What is wrong with you!? Knock it off! You're going to get yourself killed!"

Only one thing was on Ren's mind: revenge. In one night, this monstrosity had taken away everything he loved. His sweet and caring mother, An Ren, his brave and strong father, Li Ren, his home…everything. Because of it, he and Nora struggled to survive for years before making their way to Beacon and becoming teammates with Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos.

The next Grimm's attack finally depleted Ren's Aura, leaving him vulnerable. Sadly, he didn't care; he was determined to destroy this monster. Before he could attack once more, Nora pounced onto him and pinned him onto the ground under a building. The sound of charging hoofprints stopped suddenly, making Ren look out to see Jaune holding the Grimm back before being kicked down.

Ren was about to charge against it, but Nora grabbed onto his arm, stopping him.

"Let go!" he demanded. He tried to pull away, but Nora refused to do so.

"I said, let go dammit!" he shouted.

Slap.

Nora slapped him, knocking him out of this rage-induced state. Ren slowly looked back at her with regret and sadness in his eyes, but hers were looking down.

"No," she said. "I know what that thing took from you, but I won't let you kill yourself." She then looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"We've been through so much together," Nora continued. "You think you've lost everything, but you haven't. Jaune, Pyrrha, Ruby…me. You have so much left in your life and I won't let you throw that away."

Ren sighed in remorse for his reckless hate. He had become so consumed by his desire for revenge that all of what he still had was nothing but a distant thought too far to be reached.

He had lost his parents and home, but after enrolling in Beacon, he had found so much. He found friends in Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Team RWBY and Team MRRN. He had gained so many friends and had become so close with them, he even started to consider them family.

He took out a knife which had been given to him by his father and was all he had left of him. Nora gently reached out her hand and placed it atop of Ren's.

"We can beat it, but not alone," the hammer user stated. Ren's scowl of regret changed to one of determination, silently agreeing with his best friend.

Suddenly, Ruby landed near where they were, having been hit by the Nuckelavee once more. Jaune hurried over to help her onto her feet while Nora and Ren emerged from the building, prepared to start the fight again.

"Ren?" Jaune asked. Ren looked over to his leader, nodding his head with a calm expression.

"We have to immobilize it," Ruby pointed out. "Jaune and I will take care of its arms."

"I'll take care of the horse," Nora insisted.

"I'll handle the rest," Ren assured.

Ruby then leapt from building to building, firing shots from Crescent Rose at the Nuckelavee to gain its attention. As expected, the Grimm lashed its arm out at the reaper, but missed. Before it could retract it back, Ruby turned Crescent Rose into its war glaive form and drove it into the Grimm's arm.

As it screamed in pain, Ren threw his knife at the Nuckelavee to turn its attention to Jaune, now holding Crocea Mors with only its sword. The Grimm lashed its arm at the Arc, but just before it could touch him, Ren jumped forward with Crocea Mors's shield, pinning the arm to the ground.

"Now!" Ren told Jaune. The leader of JNPR rushed over and impaled the blade into the Grimm's arm.

"Nora!" Jaune called out. Nora, who had leapt to the top of a tall building, leapt down and brought Magnhild down onto the Grimm horse's head, smashing it into the ground. The Nuckelavee howled in pain as it was left immobilized by the efforts of Team RNJR.

Ren pulled the knife out of the Grimm's body and stood in front of it. The creature howled in the ninja's face, heat coming from its foul breath, but it didn't phase Ren.

"For my mother," he stated as he sliced the Grimm's left arm off.

"For my father." Ren cut the Grimm's right arm off.

"For all those you've slain." Ren then slashed its human-like torso. By now, it was in utter agony as Ren cut it apart piece by piece. It roared in his face once more, but Ren refused to be phased by it.

"For me." He then killed the vile creature by decapitating it. The Grimm's carcass then disappeared into black smoke.

It was done. Ren had avenged the deaths of his parents. He had avenged that horrible night. The Nuckelavee was gone.

-0-

"Hurry!" Ruo shouted as he slashed a Salamander's head off as he hurried across the bridge.

One of the boulders hit near the survivors, causing some of the bridge to give way and Robin to fall. Luckily, he grabbed onto the ledge of the stone, preventing him from falling to the water below.

"Robin!" Math called out as he hurried over to him and held out his hand for the archer to grab. Robin was able to put Sharp Shot back in his quiver and grab onto his cousin's hand as he was pulled up.

Suddenly, the bridge started to shake and not from the boulders being thrown by the Trolls. The Tyrannosaur was walking onto the bridge, its feet creating a tremor every time it took a step.

"Are you joking!?" Nasser snarled in frustration.

From the opposite side of where the Grimm were pouring in, Glaucus finally arrived with Goodwitch over his shoulders. As several of the Grimm charged towards him, he held his staff outwards to project a blast from his Gravity Dust, clearing the way for him to get to the bridge.

"Glaucus!" Math called out.

"He's got Goodwitch!" Ruo pointed out. To distract the Tyrannosaur, Robin pulled his bow out, nocked an arrow and shot at the Grimm's face, turning its attention away from the Gray Wanderer making his way to the survivors.

"Keep going!" Glaucus insisted. As some Salamanders tried to swarm him, he activated the Ice Dust in his staff and twirled with it near the ground, causing ice spikes to rise and kill the Grimm. When he was close enough, Math and Pyrrha hurried over to him to cover him.

"Take Glynda," he demanded.

"What about you?" Math asked as another boulder hit the bridge, causing it slowly fall apart.

"Now!" the Gray Wanderer repeated. Math and Pyrrha took Goodwitch and hurried to join up with the survivors as Glaucus turned back to look at the approaching Tyrannosaur with hundreds of Grimm following behind it. He gripped his staff with both hands and slowly raised it up as the horde approached him.

"Begone!" he shouted before slamming his staff into the bridge with Gravity Dust just as Math and Pyrrha made it across.

The Grimm stopped for a moment, unsure of what he had just happened. The Tyrannosaur was the first to continue moving forward, but as soon as it took a step, the bridge gave away, causing it to fall into the water below. The rest of the Grimm quickly turned and ran as the bridge fell apart, causing most of them to fall with the Tyrannosaur.

Before Glaucus could relax, a boulder hit his side of the bridge, causing it to give way as well.

"RUN!" Math shouted.

Glaucus turned and hurried across the bridge before he could fall with the crumbling rubble. Another boulder was thrown, hitting ahead of the Gray Wanderer, forcing him to temporarily halt before continuing his way across as the crumbling bridge was slowly catching up with him.

In a split-second decision, he aimed his staff downward and away from him to activate his Gravity Dust once more, propelling himself forward as the bridge collapsed and he made it to the other side.

"You okay?" Math asked his mentor.

"I'm getting too old for this," Glaucus groaned as the survivors hurried away from Beacon.

 **Author's Notes: I had to take a break from my Fanfic. I was feeling burnt out and struggling with writing chapters. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **It's good to be back.**


	23. Making Up

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 4, CHAPTER 23: Making Up**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

 **Author's Notes: Here are several stories I've been reading:**

 **ALMD: Volume 1 by Je'daii1298**

 **The Wanderer by Red Eyes Shadow Dragon**

 **SLVR: A Beacon of Hope by DarkHero12**

 **SLFR: A RWBY Story by Maelstrom123**

 **A shoutout needs to go to Darth Stigma. He's been giving me several ideas for my MRRN series, including the Oni and Berserkers.**

Glynda groggily woke up, feeling a bit of pain in her side where she was stabbed. To her surprise, instead of still being bound to the wall by Valkoin's wires, she was now in a hospital bed. She groaned as she slowly got up and looked around at the room she was in.

"Glynda!" Port and Oobleck greeted as they entered the room and sat down next to her bed.

"Peter?" she breathed. "Bart? How long was I out?"

"Several hours," Oobleck informed. "You lost a lot of blood, but we were able to get you to a hospital in time." Glynda groaned as she put her hand on her wound, which had now been tended to.

"How many…how many are dead?" she asked reluctantly, knowing that their deaths were partially caused by her narrow-minded mission. She had been so blind, so selfish…many good people had died and she hadn't cared in the slightest.

"Over several dozen are dead," Port grimly informed. "Some of the people who were captured with you were killed by the Knights."

Glynda felt her eyes water as a tear ran down her cheek. If she hadn't so blindly led the mission to retake Beacon, many of them would still be alive. Until now, the body count wasn't something she had even remotely considered; the only thing that mattered to her was ensuring the safety of the Relic at any cost.

"I'm so sorry," she tearfully apologized, her tears starting to stain the blanket on her bed. "I'm sorry for being so blind. For putting everyone in danger because I was too stubborn and delusional to listen." Oobleck gently put his hand on Glynda's shoulder, a scowl of comfort on his face.

"Beacon was part of my pride and joy, too," he stated. "But we must face facts: it is gone. Maybe one day, we'll reclaim it and rebuild it, but not like this. It's not what Ozpin would've wanted, you know that."

This isn't what Ozpin would've wanted, true, but he also wouldn't want the Relic of Choice to fall into Salem's hands. Luckily, she couldn't; Salem had no idea where Ozpin's cane was and neither did Glynda, though she did suspect that it was most likely Qrow since he had gone off to Mistral.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized once more. "I was so selfish."

"You were," Oobleck agreed. "But now, rest. Once you've healed up, you can make amends to the best of your abilities. Vale needs you, Glynda, but not as a martyr." Goodwitch nodded her head to Oobleck and Port, thanking them for accepting her apology.

"Will General Ironwood help us?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not," Port answered. "We received news. Atlas is officially closing its borders." Glynda's eyes widened.

"What?" she gasped.

"Ironwood gave out a speech yesterday, stating that their borders are officially closing," Oobleck explained. "No one is allowed in or out of Atlas without the Council's permission. But if you ask me…THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE OUTRAGE! Was it not their technology that took many civilian and Huntsman lives?!"

"Oobleck," Port calmed, hating seeing his friend in such a state of anger.

"Instead of helping us, they're turning their backs and leaving us to fend for ourselves," Oobleck snarled. He finally calmed down before leaving the room.

"Take care, Glynda," Port spoke before leaving as well.

All Glynda could do was sit there, contemplating her decisions. Her stubbornness, narrow-mindedness and selfishness had cost many good people their lives, but she was blind to that because of her desire to retake Beacon and secure the Relic. She felt that she should've died instead of those who did.

But she didn't. Instead, she was alive. Now she had to make amends for what she had done.

-0-

Glaucus was packing up his belongings in a suitcase. He had remembered what Safirlas had said: the Iron Knights spoke of an attack on Haven Academy. If that's where they planned on going, then he had to be there to stop them.

Most likely, Salem would also send the White Fang there as well, considering Mistral's prejudicial history against the Faunus. With both factions going there, Mistral was at risk of suffering the same fate that had befallen Beacon.

There was a knock on the door. Glaucus walked over to look through the peephole to see Mathdon, Safirlas and their friends with them. He wondered why they'd all come, but he was about to turn them away. He unlocked the door and allowed the six warriors in.

"Hello," he greeted them.

"We need to talk with you," Math spoke. Glaucus raised an eyebrow as the six young adults sat down in the room.

"What is it?" he asked as he closed the door.

"I…I foresaw the attack on Goodwitch," Saf explained.

"Foresaw?" Glaucus asked, noticing the unsure tone in Safirlas's words.

"I've been having visions," she explained. "The first time was…when I saw Haven Academy destroyed."

"Tell me more," the Gray Wanderer insisted, his interest deeply piqued.

"Everyone was dead," she answered. "The Iron Knights were cheering in victory. There was…this lantern. It glowed blue." Glaucus's eyes widened in surprise.

"Lantern…did it look like Mistral's emblem?" he questioned.

"Yes," Saf confirmed. "How do you know?"

"Please continue and I'll explain later." Saf sighed as she recounted the one of the nightmares that prompted her to start up training again.

"I saw this woman," she went on. "She was deathly white, red eyes. She was reaching for the Relic."

"That's it?" Glaucus asked.

"That's it," she replied.

This honestly shocked Glaucus. She had seen the Relic, Salem, the attack on Haven…how was this possible? How was it possible that she was having visions of the Relics and of Ozpin's secret enemy?

"We're going with you to Mistral," Math stated.

"Come again?" Glaucus asked.

"We're coming," he repeated. "Some of the visions my sister had came true. Plus, the Iron Knights straight up confirmed that they're going to Haven next. We have to stop them."

"You don't understand," the Gray Wanderer responded. "This war is much bigger than you realize. Ozpin tried to force you into it, but I won't."

"You're not forcing us," Math assured.

"Wait," Ruo interrupted. "What do you mean 'force'?"

Glaucus sighed as he held his staff against his body. If they were going to accompany him to Haven, they'd need to know the whole truth. Ozpin certainly didn't, considering how secretive he was, even to his closest allies.

He looked around and could see that they were adamant about going. They wouldn't stand by and do nothing while the Knights continued to endanger innocent lives out of rage and spite. He felt conflicted about letting them go, but believed that even if he didn't allow them, they'd still head to Mistral.

"If you plan to coming with me, then you all need to know the truth," he stated.

"The truth?" Pyrrha asked. "What is it then?" Glaucus sat down and made sure everyone was listening to him.

"I don't know how much Ozpin told Math and Pyrrha, but he didn't tell you everything," he started. "The true mastermind of the Fall of Beacon is someone named Salem."

"Salem?" Math asked.

"That woman that Saf saw in her dream…that was her," he confirmed. "She and Ozpin have been at war with each other for millennia."

"Millenia?" Robin gasped. "How is that possible?"

"Ozpin has the ability to reincarnate into different hosts. Whenever his current body dies, his Aura will merge with a new person."

"Reincarnation?" Nasser chuckled. "Seriously?" Glaucus glared at the axe wielder.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" he questioned, silencing Nasser.

"Ozpin claims that the true creators of humanity were two Gods: the Gods of Light and Darkness. For centuries, the God of Light, the elder brother, blessed Remnant every day with life, water, animals. Every night, the God of Darkness would destroy everything with fire, famine, disaster. One night, he created creatures that shared his innate desire to destroy anything and everything."

"The Grimm?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes," Glaucus confirmed. "The God of Light finally said 'enough is enough' and that their feud couldn't last forever. He suggested making a being that shared both of their natures, which the God of Darkness agreed. That's how humanity came to be."

"Wait," Saf interrupted. "What do you mean by 'shared both of their natures'?"

"Humanity was created upon four ideals: Creation, Destruction, Choice and Knowledge. They each take a physical form was left here after the Gods left Remnant."

"Where are the Relics?" Robin asked.

"'In the Academies," Glaucus answered. "Ozpin made the Academies to keep the Relics safe from anyone who would use them for evil, such as Salem."

"What about the Maidens?" Pyrrha brought up. "Are they involved in this?"

"They are," the Gray Wanderer confirmed. "Each of the Relics are locked in a chamber that can only be accessed by a specific Maiden. Winter unlocks the Relic of Creation, Summer unlocks the Relic of Destruction, Fall unlocks the Relic of Choice and Spring unlocks the Relic of Knowledge."

Pyrrha's heart raced for a moment after hearing Glaucus's explanation. Cinder had the Fall Maiden's power, meaning that she could access the Relic of Choice if she wanted to.

"Cinder has the Fall Maiden's power," Math brought up. "Does that mean-?"

"Not entirely," Glaucus interrupted. "The Headmasters each have an item in their possession that unlock the entrance to the Relic Vaults. You need both to unlock the Relic."

"Is that why Glynda was so crazy and stubborn?" Nasser asked.

"Unfortunately," Glaucus confirmed. "With the Grimm swarming Beacon, the Relic was within Salem's grasp, so she led that mission to secure its safety."

"Did she have…whatever Ozpin used to unlock the Vault?" Nasser questioned, to which Glaucus shook his head.

"WHAT!?" Nasser roared. "You're telling me that countless people died for her mission and she didn't even have what she needed!? We were all getting ourselves killed for nothing!?" He groaned in frustration.

"I lost my knives for that."

"She was being very irrational," Glaucus agreed. "But from what Port and Oobleck told me, she's snapped out of it. After she's rested up, she'll make amends for what she's done."

"Sure," the axe user responded, angered at the whole truth of Goodwitch's mission.

"Back to the Relics," Saf spoke, tabling the Goodwitch conversation. "The Lantern I saw in my dream…that's one of the Relics?"

"Relic of Knowledge," Glaucus answered. "Each of the Kingdoms' emblems were made after the Relics hidden in the Academies."

"But shouldn't Vale's then be an axe?" Saf questioned. "When I saw the dream about Goodwitch being captured, she was going after a crown-" She cut herself off after realizing that the two axes of Vale were joined together in a wreath of some sort.

"What you saw was the Relic of Choice," the Gray Wanderer answered.

"What do you know about this 'Salem'?" Math asked. "How does that justify forcing Pyrrha to take the Fall Maiden's powers?" Glaucus's eyes widened in horror after what he just heard.

"What?" he questioned. "Ozpin forced the powers on you, Pyrrha?" The redhead's mind went back to that troubled memory, the night Ozpin tried to force the Maiden powers on her out of desperation.

"Force?" Ruo asked, confused about what they were talking about.

"Yes," she confessed. "I…I couldn't take the Maiden's powers. When I told Ozpin no, he…" She started reimagining the pain from when Amber's Aura was being transferred to hers. Her eyes began to water, prompting Math to hold her in a tight embrace, which she reciprocated.

"Ozpin…" Glaucus growled under his breath. He didn't think he'd go so far as to force the Maiden powers onto Pyrrha, especially when he didn't tell her the full danger of doing so. Ozpin had truly crossed a line to do something like this.

"What are you talking about?" Robin questioned, breaking Glaucus away from his angered thoughts.

"Before the Fall of Beacon, one of the Maidens, Amber, was attacked by the person we now know as Cinder," the Gray Wanderer explained. "Somehow, she managed to steal half of her power. We put her in an Atlesian life support system to prevent the rest of her power from going to Cinder."

"We?" Saf asked.

"I'm part of an organization tasked with fighting Salem and keeping the Maidens and Relics safe," Glaucus explained. "Besides Ozpin and I, it includes Goodwitch, Ironwood, Qrow-"

"And Forest used to be one of you," Math brought up.

"Yes. But he lost faith in Ozpin and struck out on his own with his team to fight Salem their way."

"Well, I certainly trust him more than Ozpin," Robin stated. "What about Salem?"

"She commands the Grimm. She has her own group following her to aid in her war against Ozpin. Their main objective: use the Maidens to take the Relics. If she gets all four, then she's won."

"Is Valkoin a member of Salem's group?" Pyrrha asked.

"He is," he confirmed. "He's my brother."

"Brother?" Nasser asked. "That son of a bitch who killed Alan Kura is your brother?"

"After he and I graduated Beacon, Ozpin asked us to join his group. Years later…Valkoin became consumed by anger against Ozpin and joined Salem. That was nearly a decade ago."

"Why does he hate Ozpin so much, if you don't mind me asking?" Math asked.

Glaucus did mind. Valkoin had just told him that Ozpin had robbed them of their parents and home. They had to endure such hardships because of him, having been proven by asking the Relic of Knowledge. Whether or not these claims were legitimate was unknown, so Glaucus decided to keep it close to him for now.

"He blames Ozpin for the pain in his life," Glaucus answered. Math could tell that Glaucus wasn't prepared to say everything, but he trusted him and said nothing.

The Gray Wanderer went on, explaining everything and answering any questions he could to the best of his knowledge. When everything was said and done, all the young adults being surprised was an understatement.

"So…Ozpin's been at war with this Salem for millennia?" Safirlas asked for clarification.

"And he's been recruiting people from the Academies ever since they were built?" Math added.

"Yes," Glaucus confirmed. "Now you understand the severity of the situation. To go with me to Mistral is to fight against Salem, not just the Iron Knights and White Fang."

"Why didn't Ozpin tell us this when he asked us for help?" Pyrrha demanded to know.

"Ozpin has a very bad habit of playing things close to the chest," Glaucus answered. "I followed him not because I like him, but because I felt he was possibly our best chance against Salem. I supported asking you for help, but not forcing the Maiden powers on you." He stood up from his seat and went back to his bag.

"You all have a choice now that you know. You can either stay here to help defend Vale or come with me to defeat Salem. However, if you come with me, I cannot promise any of you a safe return. It would probably be the last time any of you see your loved ones."

The young adults all looked at each other. None of them particularly liked the idea of what Ozpin had done to Math and Pyrrha, but if Glaucus was right, then this Salem would not stop until humanity was destroyed. The danger was too great for them to sit idly by and do nothing.

"Will we see Ozpin again?" Pyrrha asked.

"Most likely," the Gray Wanderer answered. "It's possible he may've reincarnated by now."

"Then he better explain what he did," Math snarled. "We're going with you."

"Are you absolutely certain?" Glaucus asked once more. "None of you signed up for this war. You know what may happen if you come with me to Mistral."

"We won't stand by and do nothing while Salem continues to destroy lives," Saf stated firmly. "When do we leave?"

"The day after tomorrow," Glaucus answered as he pulled out a map of Anima and put it on a table for everyone to see.

"We'll take a boat to the western coast of Anima. From there, it's three days to a train station that'll take us the rest of the way, though it will take us through Grimm-infested territory. Once we get there, we warn Professor Lionheart of the attack and decide from there."

"Will anyone else be joining us?" Math asked.

"Forest will," Glaucus answered. "I received a message from him confirming Haven to be the Iron Knights' next target. He's heading over there as we speak."

"It'll definitely be good having a badass like him helping us," Nasser commented.

"Yes," Glaucus chuckled. "The boat that'll take us there is called the White Wave. It departs the day we leave at 2:00 P.M., so make sure you have everything you need."

"Actually, I was hoping I could ask for your advice on what my visions could be," Saf reminded.

"Of course," Glaucus answered as the two of them sat down away from the others.

"When did you have your visions? Was it during you were asleep?"

"Two of them were," Saf explained. "They were about the attack on Haven and Goodwitch being captured."

"What about the rest?" Glaucus asked. "When did they happen?"

"Both of them were during the rescue mission," Safirlas explained. "One was about the Troll that attacked us when we got to the bridge. In my vision, it picked up a stone and threw it at us, but it charged instead. The second one was the Trolls throwing boulders at us…which obviously became true."

Glaucus thought about what Saf said. She had foreseen things, but in one of her vision, not everything in it happened. He knew from Math that her Semblance gave her the ability to anticipate attacks, making her harder to hit when up against human opponents; a form of battle telepathy.

However, this was different. Her Semblance dealt with reading an opponent's mind in combat, but prediction the future and outcomes was something else entirely. Perhaps it could be her Semblance evolving, but how it could've done so was beyond his knowledge.

"I believe that these visions may be the result of your Semblance evolving," Glaucus stated. "Many theorize that a Semblance is a reflection of a person's personality. Perhaps something that happened to you triggered these visions."

One thing came to mind: the deaths of her teammates. She fought along them against Nachtfel…and watch each of them be killed. It is possible that this traumatic experience caused her Semblance to evolve and thus have these visions. However, while it was a theory, it wasn't concrete. She'd have to learn more on their journey to Mistral.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Glaucus asked, to which no one replied.

"Very well. Make sure to let your families know before you leave. If any of you change your mind, I won't hold it against you. But for those who come with me…Thank you."

-0-

After the talk with Glaucus, Robin has some personal business to attend to: he needed to make amends with Coco for his past behavior.

He had hoped to find her at her house, but she wasn't there. Since she hadn't sustained severe injuries like Goodwitch, she wasn't at the hospital either. Where else could she be?

A thought struck him: the Vale Cemetery, where her friend, Velvet, was buried. With that in mind, he made his way over to the place where many Huntsmen, Huntresses and students rested in peace.

It was a long walk, long enough for Robin to consider what he'd say to Coco. For months, he hadn't heard from her or spoken to her. He was too busy sulking in his depression to even think of speaking to her, which he now regretted more than anything.

From what Fox had told him, the death of Velvet and the end of their relationship weighed heavily on Coco. There was no telling of how badly the toll had taken on her, especially since she had been aiding in the mission to retake Beacon. For all he knew, maybe she was ready to fall apart at a moment's notice.

As he expected, Coco was at the Cemetery, kneeling at Velvet's grave. Robin slowly opened the gate inside, alerting Coco to his presence. He couldn't tell what emotion was on her face; anger, happiness, sadness…he couldn't tell, even though her shades were off.

"Coco?" he gently addressed.

"Hey," she greeted solemnly before turning her attention back to the gravestone. Robin cautiously walked up, approaching Coco before he knelt next to the woman he loved. He read the epitaph on Velvet's grave.

" _Here lies Velvet Scarlatina. Member of Team CFVY. A fighter who gave her life at the Fall of Beacon. May she rest in peace."_

"I miss her," Coco said. "I couldn't even talk to her parents on the day of the funeral. Still can't. I can't imagine what they're going through."

"It's never easy losing someone you love," Robin responded.

"Thanks," Coco as she looked over to the archer. "For saving our lives." She then slowly raised her hand to touch Robin's visor, which she could obviously see that it had restored his sight.

"Where'd you get this?" she asked.

"General Ironwood sent it to me," the archer answered with a small smile. "You like it?" Coco chuckled as she examined the visor. Robin's small smile slowly faded before he looked down.

"Coco, I came to apologize," he started. "When you came to me after I lost my eyes, you wanted to help me. Instead…" He sniffed as he remembered the moment he pushed away the wonderful woman he had fallen in love with.

"I just pushed you away when you wanted to help me. I was so consumed by feeling sorry for myself that I didn't realize how badly I was treating everyone. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, for pushing you away."

Coco wrapped her arms around Robin, prompting him to return the embrace. She felt her own eyes water as she kneeled there, her arms wrapped around the archer. Until now, she had made herself hold everything in, hold in the pain she had felt for months ever since the night Beacon was destroyed.

Her school was in ruins. Her best friend was killed. Her boyfriend had angrily pushed her away when she tried to offer sympathy. She had struggled to maintain her usual cool and collected demeanor that she had always worn.

Now it was beginning to crack. Every moment she spent close to Robin made it hard for her not to break down into tears.

She was done holding it in. She finally buried her face into Robin's shoulder and cried heavily, the pain taking the form of tears down her cheeks.

After what felt like forever, the two of them looked at each other before standing up, still having their arms around each other. The fashionista nodded her head to Robin, silently accepting his apology

"I love you, Coco," Robin stated.

"Me too," she responded before finally recollecting herself. "Why don't you come with us?"

"What?" Robin asked, confused.

"We're heading to Shade Academy to finish our training," Coco explained. "Maybe you could come with us and be our fourth member."

"I wish I could, but I can't," Robin gently refused.

"Why not?" the fashionista asked.

"My team and I…we're going after the people responsible for Beacon," he answered. "They need me."

Coco wanted to protest, but she felt that it wouldn't be right. She wanted Robin to come with her to Shade, but she'd feel it'd be wrong to force him to choose her over his teammates. They both needed to do what they felt was right for themselves and their teams.

"Be safe then," she spoke before gently kissing his cheek.

"I will," Robin assured. "Coco…if we meet again at Shade, would you…?"

"Depending on how we feel about it," Coco responded. "We're going separate paths, Robin. I don't want to make promises I don't know if I'll keep. But if things work out…I'll definitely do it."

"I can accept that," Robin responded.


	24. Moving Onward

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 4, Chapter 24: Moving Onward**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Ruby opened the door to the room where Qrow was resting. To their fortune, Mistral ships had found them and had gotten her uncle the medical attention he needed for his poisoned wound.

They had made it to Mistral, but they were going to let Qrow rest until he recovered before heading directly to Professor Lionheart. He still needed to be warned of the incoming attack on Haven, especially since from what Qrow said, he hadn't checked in with Ozpin for a very long time.

Ruby placed Crescent Rose on the bed next to her uncle's, thinking about everything that she had encountered on this journey. The only obstacles she faced weren't just the Grimm they fought, but her beliefs and reason for being a Huntress.

All her life, she wanted to do what she felt to be right. She stood out from numerous students in Beacon; not just in the sense that she was accepted in two years early, but in her morals. While many students only wanted to be Huntsmen for fame, money and thrills, she wanted to be one to help people just like the stories she grew up on. She wanted to be a protector who gave others hope.

During her journey, she had learned so much that she didn't expect to. First, Yang's mom, Raven, approached her and revealed the existence of Salem, Ozpin's ancient enemy who was the true mastermind of the Fall of Beacon. She insisted that to go up against her was suicide and that Ozpin was not the good person she thought he was.

To an extent, she was right. Ozpin had forced Pyrrha to take Maiden powers against her will. Jaune, Ren and Nora were still visibly angered about it; even the mere mention of their former Headmaster's name was enough to remind them of what he had forced on their teammate.

She had come to Haven with the goal of stopping Cinder and avenging the deaths of those who died at Beacon. She never signed up to be part of a war, especially one that her Uncle Qrow had kept her in the dark about ever since she left home. She loved her Uncle, but she was having some trouble with him after everything that happened.

She wished she could go back to the old days at Beacon, when she was still the leader of Team RWBY. She wished she could be with her friends again, having fun, partaking in mishaps, and fighting the bad guys. She was sure to see Yang again when she could, but she didn't know if she'd ever see Weiss or Blake.

The thought of Yang prompted her to sit down a table and grabbed a pen and paper. She started writing:

" _Hey sis. Hope my letters have been reaching you and Dad. I know written stuff has never been super reliable, but I guess that's all we got these days. Anyways, in case you haven't been getting them, I want to say…I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. If I could go back and do it right, I would, but I can't, so I hope I can ask for your forgiveness."_

 _-0-_

" _This journey tested everything I knew. My reasons for being a Huntress, my ability to be the leader others need me to be, and so much. I used to see the world through a very simple view, but now…I don't think I see it that way anymore."_

"You're sure?" Corcra asked Mathdon and Safirlas after they explained everything.

"Yes, Mom," Math responded. "Beacon was the first tragedy to come. If something's not done, Haven will suffer the same fate. We cannot let the Iron Knights have their way."

"I'm not okay with this," Corcra stated. "The Iron Knights nearly killed you both the night Beacon fell. If you two…"

She stopped as she remembered that horrible night. So much death. So much destruction. But the worst for her was when she saw both of her children in medical beds. She hoped, prayed for their survival against the injuries that were inflicted on them. If they had been lost that night, she had no idea what she'd do.

"Mom, we know what we signed up for," Saf assured. "We accepted that risk when I enrolled in Haven, when you allowed Math to train with Glaucus and Forest."

"I thought I did too," their mother admitted. "But after seeing both of you in those medical beds the night Beacon fell, I…I don't think I really did nor can. I don't know if I can truly accept the idea of ever losing either of you."

"Well, that's how we feel about you," Math brought up. "We'd be devastated too if we lost you, but you always pushed us to move forward, to be ready. And now, we're asking you to let us move forward, to go to Haven and stop those monsters before they can win."

Corcra sighed as her son used her own words against her. She let her children know of the dangers of being a Huntress and made sure they understood it perfectly when they started their own training. Their job was dangerous, but they accepted it, just as she did.

"Mom, we're going," Saf replied adamantly. "With or without your permission."

"Then I won't stop you," Corcra responded as she embraced both of her children, kissing both of their heads.

"I'm proud of how far you two have come," she complimented. "You've overcome obstacles that would cause others to give up and leave their dreams behind. You've become such strong and honorable warriors and I feel like I haven't said that enough. I…I feel I wasn't the mother I should've been."

"You had your own challenges too," Math replied. "Donovan leaving, having to raise us by yourselves. You were a great mom and we're grateful for everything you've done for us."

Corcra was on the verge of tears as she admitted her feeling of not being the mother she should've been to Mathdon and Safirlas. Just hearing her son tell her how grateful they were to her was enough to move her to cry, but she held herself together as she hugged them both.

"When do you leave?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," Math answered.

"Then you two and Pyrrha better start packing," she responded. "And Math? Shave your beard." The swordsman chuckled.

-0-

" _Every morning, I woke up wondering what would be over the next hill, something good or something terrifying. It's frightening not knowing what's ahead, but what makes it worse is that we know how bad things can get."_

"Are you sure about this, Blake?" Akela asked as she took out a chest, holding an old White Fang flag with blue and white instead of red and black.

She had thought much about the discussion between her father and Bhaal after discovering the plan to attack Haven. She was very conflicted right now on who to agree with more.

On the one hand, she knew her father cared for the Faunus deeply enough to start the White Fang organization in hopes of gaining equality for their species. While he was definitely a strong and just leader, he did his best to avoid using violence against the humans, even when they had attacked them.

Bhaal Bhoora had a point in the flaw of Ghira's idea of leadership. He didn't condone Sienna's terrorism, but he believed in fighting to defend themselves, something Ghira refrained from doing when he was High Leader out of fear of undoing any peace they had earned.

In a way, she had to agree with Bhaal, especially after her own experiences. When she stood aside and did nothing, countless Faunus at their school were harassed, especially when Atlesian students arrived at Beacon.

" _Freak!" one of the Atlesian students called Ruo as they pushed him away._

" _Hey!" Math snarled, stepping between them. "You don't push my teammate around!"_

" _You do not talk to me that way!" the Atlesian student growled. "I will treat those animals however I want! Because that's all they are; they're animals!"_

" _If you want a black eye and several broken bones, keep talking, asshole!" Nasser snarled as he showed him his fist._

" _What is the meaning of this?" General Ironwood demanded to know as he approached them._

" _He was harassing our teammate," Math informed Ironwood._

" _It's the way the world should be," the student arrogantly responded. "Atlas on top. Vale, Mistral and Vacuo in the middle. Faunus on the bottom, working in the Dust Mines."_

" _That's enough!" Ironwood silenced. "You, come with me."_

" _For what?" the Atlesian student questioned._

" _Because I said so," Ironwood stated. "Now."_

 _Far from this, Blake watched the entire ordeal and started feeling a bit of guilt as she touched her bow._

She could've done something on Ruo's behalf, but instead did nothing. The student only backed off when Math and Nasser stepped up to defend their teammate. She gripped the flag firmly, prepared to not make the same mistakes she had done before: speak passionately of Faunus equality, yet do nothing.

"We must stop Adam," Blake stated. "We cannot let Haven suffer the same fate as Beacon."

"We'll find a way," Sun assured. "One way or another, we will save the Academy." Blake smiled at her friend's assurance, which she needed.

-0-

" _You once said bad things just happen. You were angry, but you were right. Bad things have happened for no reason. But that's why I'm here: I want to do whatever I can to finally do some good when there's been so much bad. We've lost so much and I've seen what loss can do to people, but if we gave up every time we lost something, we'd never be able to move on."_

Safirlas had gone to the Cemetery to lay three flowers on three graves: one purple, one red, one green. Each one was placed on the graves of none other than her teammates: Medeia Iris, Imamu Nyekundu and Rong Luse.

"Hey, guys," Saf said. "It's been a while since I've been here ever since the funeral." She sighed.

"I remember all the fun times we had together. Remember that time when Coco Adel invited you and I shopping, Medeia…and she had Robin carry all of her stuff?"

" _You okay back there?" Saf asked as Robin carried boxes of what Coco had bought at the mall._

" _Why do you need so much clothing, Coco?" Rob asked as he constantly moved them around so he could see in front of him._

" _I saw plenty of stuff I liked," the fashionista responded as she as carrying several bags of her own purchased clothes. "Don't worry; lunch is on me."_

" _You don't have to do that," Saf insisted._

" _No, I insist," Coco responded. "I think it'd be rude of me to do this to my boyfriend without letting him know how much I love him."_

" _Love you too, babe," Robin replied with a cocky smile._

"That was a good time," Saf chuckled. "Robin and Coco got along so well. I'm glad that they were finally able to reconcile." She then looked over to Imamu's grave, remembering the time he tried giving flirting advice to Rong.

" _I'm not one for flirting," Rong responded once more to his teammate._

" _Every man can flirt; it's just a matter of how," Imamu stated. "Now, when you talk to a girl, make her want to stay around you. Make her want to continue the conversation."_

" _It doesn't work for you," Rong shot, making Saf laugh._

" _Ha ha," Imamu replied. "Let me show you. There's a cutie on the way." Imamu slicked his hair back and walked up to her with a confident smile._

" _Sometimes, I wonder how he thinks of himself as such as a ladies' man," Rong told Safirlas. As expected, the girl walked away with an annoyed look on her face._

" _Great advice," Rong told Imamu. "Works well."_

Saf felt tears start to wet her eyes. She missed them so much; she wanted to be with them again, to have fun with them again. Sadly, nothing could bring them back, a truth she had been unable to accept for a long time.

"Saf?" Math addressed as he walked up to her. He fell silent as he saw her knelt in front of the graves of her teammates.

"Yes?" she replied as she turned to look at him, his beard shaved into a goatee.

"The boat will be leaving in two hours," Math told her. "Are you ready?" Saf sniffled a little before getting onto her feet and picking up Himmelkanten.

For months, she had let the deaths of her teammates drag her into depression. She was so wrapped up in her self-pity that she had refused every option of getting back on her feet. That is, until she had the vision of Haven falling and Goodwitch being captured. She still needed answers on what was causing her visions…and she needed to move on for the sake of her teammates.

"I'm ready," she answered. The two siblings then left the Vale Cemetery to their mom's car to drive them to the docks.

-0-

" _We'd never have a chance to see what beautiful things there are in life. We'd never be able to change, whether it be ourselves or the world around us. And we'd never be able to be there for those who'd be lost without us. That is what we were training for, Yang…to become Huntresses. To be the ones to stand up and do something about all the bad in the world."_

"You're sure you're ready, Yang?" Tai asked as she filled up Bumblebee with gas.

"I am," she responded. "I need to find Raven. If I do, she can take me to Ruby."

"Yang, Raven is a dangerous woman," Tai warned. "She may not be willing to help you."

"I'm her daughter," the blonde brawler brought up. "That should be more than enough reason to help me."

"I…" Tai tried speaking, but fell flat. "I just don't want her to hurt you again."

Yang's confident scowl changed to hurt. Tai had told her of what Raven had become: selfish, irresponsible, hypocritical, and amoral. There was no doubt that Raven would simply brush her off and tell her to get lost if she went to her.

But Yang had to. She didn't know if Ruby had made it to Mistral or not; searching Anima could take ages. With her Semblance, she'd be taken to Qrow, who'd then take her to her sister. There was simply no other choice.

"Yang…are you sure you're ready to meet your mother?" Tai asked. Yang stood up and looked over to her dad. He could see the conflict to be confident or scared in her lilac eyes, but he could also see determination: nothing would stop her from reaching her sister.

"I am ready," she insisted before walking over to her dad and hugging him. The two hugged for several moments before she knelt down to pet Zwei.

"I'm coming back," she assured the cute Corgi dog. She packed her belongings on the motorcycle and drove off as Tai watched.

"Be safe," he said.

-0-

" _There are many people out there who enjoy watching us in sorrow, but there are also those who enjoy creating happiness. When you want to be someone who creates good instead of bad, you can feel lost at times. It can feel like every day is a struggle against a monster that cannot be beaten. But we have to try; if not for us, then for the people we haven't lost."_

As Pyrrha walked up with Math, Saf and Corcra to the boat, she kept looking down at the brace on her leg, the same brace that allowed her to walk and fight again. But that wasn't the only thing on her mind.

She was heading to Mistral, the same kingdom where her friends were heading. She was going to most likely see Jaune, Ren and Nora again after all these months. She missed them so much and while she was happy to possibly see them again, she was also scared.

She and Jaune didn't talk things out before he had left, so she was unsure of whether he'd still be angry at her. However, she liked to think that perhaps he had forgiven her for her reckless actions the night Beacon fell, when she tried to fight Cinder by herself.

Cinder.

Pyrrha's thoughts immediately soured as she remembered the evil woman who tricked her into accidentally killing Penny by ripping her to shreds. She wanted to face her again, to make her face justice for her role in the event that had divided the kingdoms and took many innocent lives.

"Guys!" Robin called as he approached. He had on a new outfit: a red, sleeveless hoodie with a fingerless glove on his right hand and an armored gauntlet on his left that went up to his shoulder, which was his upgraded version of his old Dust gauntlet and grappling hook. His attire was finished with a brown belt, light brown pants and light brown boots with red laces.

"You look good," Math complimented.

"You, too man," Robin replied, smiling again for what felt like the first time in ages.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" Anrydd told his son, who was there with Gwyn and Dearg.

"I will," he assured as he hugged each of them.

"Is everyone ready?" Glaucus asked.

"Why did we have to be here so early?" Math asked.

"To make sure we have everything and that no one doesn't claim our rooms," Glaucus answered. "When you're ready, I'd say go ahead and get on board."

Math, Robin, Ruo, Nasser, Saf and Pyrrha all said goodbye to everyone who came with them before walking onto the boat, heading to the rooms Glaucus had ordered for them. When he noticed the concern on some of their relatives' faces, he smiled and walked up to them.

"Don't worry," he assured. "I'll keep an eye on them. They WILL come back."

"Thanks," Corcra responded. Glaucus then walked on board to join the group of young adults.

"Alright, so two rooms, each one can hold up to four people," Math pointed out. "I'll take a bottom bunk."

"Good, because I call top," Robin said as he leapt onto the top bunk.

After everyone got settled in, Robin, Ruo, Nasser and Glaucus shared one room while roomed with Safirlas and Pyrrha. Their journey to Mistral and to defeat Salem had begun.

-0-

 _I miss you so much. I miss Weiss and Blake, too. But I think you'd all be proud to know I made it to Mistral. All of us did. And we even ran into Uncle Qrow along the way. He's going to take us to see Professor Lionheart, the headmaster of Haven Academy. And he told us some things you're going to want to hear— things I can't trust will make it to you in this letter. But maybe if you joined us, he could tell you himself. With Beacon gone, they'll need Dad at Signal more than ever. I know you need to focus on yourself before I can expect you to come out with me, but it sure would be great to get Team RWBY back together again._

 _Until next time._

 _Your loving sister,_

 _ **Ruby Rose**_

 _P.S. I'll give you the address of where we're staying in Mistral. I'd love to hear back from you and Dad and I can't wait to fill you in on what's happened."_

Just then, Qrow woke up, holding his torso as he recovered from the pain of the injury.

"You okay?" she asked him.

"I am, kid," he replied. "We'll head up to meet Leo tomorrow. I'm just another day."

"Okay," she replied. "I think things will get better for us from here."

-0-

Leo sat nervously across Dr. Watts, who was sipping his tea. He had been informed that he would be arriving, but he hadn't expected him this soon.

"Well, your efforts have proved fruitful," Watts complimented as he sipped his tea. "The Huntsmen are being hunted down by the Iron Knights as we speak. They're finished."

"But there are still students here in Mistral," Leo reminded. "They may pose a problem too."

"Only one team seems like a problem," Dr. Watts replied. "Team COAL. Keep an eye on them for me, will you?"

"Of course," Leo replied. "They're on the Anima Express as we speak, protecting it from Grimm and such. They're very far from here."

"See that they do not interfere," Watts replied. "Am I understood?" Leo sighed before nodding his head shamefully.

"I understand." Watts smiled condescendingly.

"Good. By the beginning of Fall…Haven will be destroyed."

 **Author's Notes: Volume 4 has come to a close! Whoo! Who knew I'd come this far? I hope you're still enjoying the series. I** **'ll make sure to post a notice when I begin Volume 5. Until then, read and write on, fellow writers!**

 **Team COAL was created by Darth Stigma and they will be introduced next volume. Hope you enjoy them.**


	25. Volume 5 Notice

**Author's Note:**

 **I've just now uploaded MRRN Volume 5! Make sure to keep reading to continue the adventures of Team MRRN! Make sure to favorite and follow!**


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